Shattered Universe
by Anonymonimus
Summary: When Papyrus accidentally fixes the machine Sans kept locked in his secret lab, the latter quite literally falls into a new universe. Here, everything is dark, dreary and dangerous. What's more: Papyrus's duplicate is an absolute jerk. Sans needs to find a way home, but he quickly finds himself distracted by the absence of his alter ego. FONTCEST
1. Through Time and Space

It started off as a normal day. Nothing should have happened that was out of the ordinary. But this was the Underground – a place wherein the known laws of physics, of time and space, fluctuated as they saw fit without the slightest warning or regard for contradiction. And so it started off as a normal day, but it certainly wasn't going to end that way.

Sans spent the day lazing around Grillby's bar. It was the ideal place to hide from Papyrus and his jobs despite how he was aware it was where he spent all of his time. Still, for some reason, the place seemed to ward him off – fortunately for the smaller skeleton on his laziest of days. He was thus spending a nice time in the company of friends, cracking jokes and munching on excellent food. Hours flew by in what felt like mere minutes what with all the fun they were having. Before anyone knew it, Grillby was reminding everyone of the time and the usual crowd of monsters steadily began to disperse. First, Dogamy and Dogressa needed to return home to freshen up for their date night whereas as Ugly Fish had plans to set a lure by the river in order to seduce a fish or anyone curious enough to retrieve his message. In half an hour or so, the remaining dog monsters would also leave to their own devices and, after an additional hour, everyone but Sans would be gone.

But this wasn't a normal day.

"Shouldn't you be getting home?" Grillby asked Sans. "I can't imagine Papyrus will be too pleased with you today."

"he'll be furious." Sans agreed with a laid back chuckle.

"Best to head back now and face the thunder." Grillby recommended.

"this is why you're the sensible one." Sans grinned as he hopped off the stool. "but you're right. i might even be able to control the damage."

"I'll walk you to the door." Grillby offered.

Sans waited for the bartender to circle around the counter and then walked with him to the door. Grillby, ever the gentleman, held the door open for him. Sans responded with a curtsy as a joke – one that effectively got a laugh out of the other. They stepped out of the bar and into the snowy street. The monsters of Snowdin were heading home while the children continued to play their games. But soon, it would be time for dinner and the streets would, as a result, go empty.

"It's chilly today." Grillby remarked.

"yeah, your flames are receding." Sans noted.

Grillby reached at the top of his head, feeling the diminishing flames. "Hun. You're right." He hummed in relative surprise, "Best I not stay out for too long."

"well i won't keep you." Sans assured, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "i've got a lecture to attend."

"I'll see you tomorrow then." Grillby smiled and gave a small wave.

"maybe tonight if i'm not grounded." Sans snickered.

"I've never known Papyrus to go easy on you when—"

But Grillby never finished his sentence. He was unexpectedly interrupted by the deafening sound of an explosion. The ruckus had almost startled Sans's soul out of his body. He agitatedly turned around, facing the direction from which it had come only to see frightened monsters sprinting away and children running into their homes. In the distance, he could see smoke rising from the treetops. It almost looked like it was coming from his house, but Sans dismissed the thought. There was no way. It would be impossible—

"Sans!" A monster shouted, running towards him with a concerned expression on its face. "The explosion—it came from your house!"

"Shit." Grillby muttered in shocked horror. A string of more colourful words instead came to Sans's very worried mind.

"I think Papyrus was inside." It added.

Terror immediately took over him. Never had a sentence brought about so much dread and fear. So much so, Sans found himself paralysed. His thoughts rushed and he wondered if his brother had died. The sound had been so loud and the smoke coming from his house was so dark. Though Papyrus was privy to a lot of hp, the presumed impact of the blast might have been enough to dust him. The last thing he wanted was to return home and find a pile of dust waiting for him amidst the ruin of his – _their_ home.

"Sans!" Grillby snapped, bringing him out of his thoughts. "What are you waiting for!? Go! I'll try to contact Undyne."

"r…right." Sans nodded sheepishly. He shut his eyes tightly and shook his head, clearing the obstructing thoughts from his mind. "right!"

And without wasting an additional moment, he ran home. The snow slowed him down, but the adrenaline almost made up for it. His legs pumped as fast as they could, carrying him to his home in near record time. Despite what the explosion may have suggested, Sans wasn't greeted with a pile of rubble, but rather an intact establishment – no different from how he had left it that morning. However, black smoke rose and it took him little time to realise it was coming from his secret lab.

The smaller skeleton circled around the house and easily busted down the door he usually kept locked and shut. If Papyrus had caused the explosion, how had he gotten in? He shouldn't even have been aware of the compartment in the first place. And yet, when the smoke cleared up, Sans found his brother wielding a fire extinguisher and putting out the last of the fire. He coughed violently and wiped the sweat from his brow then turning to find Sans standing in the doorway.

"Sans!" Papyrus yelped and suddenly looked very nervous. "W-what are you doing here?"

"what happened?" Sans demanded taking a step forward. Papyrus took an anxious step back. "are you hurt?"

"I-I'm fine." Papyrus laughed tensely, "Just, you know, a small explosion. Nothing to worry about."

"nothing to worry about?!" Sans snapped, losing his composure. His hands were trembling. "there was a thick column of smoke coming from the house—i heard the explosion all the way from grillby's! a-and what are you even doing here? how do you know about this place?"

"Don't be mad!" Papyrus pleaded, pressing his hands together as he cowered. It made Sans feel a little bad for his outburst. But only a little. "I was mad that you played hooky and decided I would clean your room – I know how much you hate it when I do that. I was looking through your sock drawer when a key suddenly appeared in my pocket. It took me an hour to find this place. Speaking of," Papyrus's tone suddenly became reproachful, "how come I didn't know about this? Why were you—"

"what exploded, papyrus?" Sans demanded, ignoring the question. He would answer it and the others that would undoubtedly follow later, but there were more pressing matters at hand.

Papyrus suddenly looked very nervous again. "N…nothing?"

But just as he lied, the bulk of the smoke behind him cleared up and revealed the machine Sans had been keeping beneath a tarp for many years. The contraption was round and hummed lowly with a glass door that pulsed a bright blue light. Sans all but gasped at the sight of it. He knew very little about the machine he kept hidden. A feeling in his soul told him that it belonged to him, but nothing more. It stemmed from a period in his life that he couldn't quite recall. He had tried fixing it in his spare time a decade ago, but later gave up due to lack of any kind of progress.

"what did you…do?" Sans breathed in a mixture of awe and fear. He didn't know what the machine was meant for. Not even the blueprints he kept locked away in his desk could give even the slightest hint.

"I fixed it, I think." Papyrus admitted, glancing at his feet awkwardly. "Don't be mad."

"just get away from it." Sans sighed. "you're too close, it's making me anxious." Papyrus obliged, moving to his brother's side. The latter wasted no time to grab him and inspect him to make sure he was truly alright. "you're sure you're not hurting anywhere?"

"I'm fine, Sans." Papyrus insisted, "I was just a bit startled."

Sans looked him over for a moment longer before eventually nodding. "so what did you do?"

"I poked around." Papyrus replied with a slight wince, expecting a scolding the more he elaborated. "It looked like a puzzle so I solved it and then it blew up."

"a…puzzle?" Sans repeated. He didn't recall anything remotely resembling a puzzle. Then again, his brother had a unique way of looking at the world.

"Yes. It was actually quite fun." Papyrus smiled.

"you shouldn't have done that." Sans exhaled and apprehensively took a step towards the machine. "i don't know what this thing does. we need to shut it down. how did you turn it on?"

Papyrus looked at him with big clueless eyes before shrugging his ignorance. Sans sighed again and gulped thickly as he returned his gaze to the daunting machine. He was going to have to figure it out himself, something he wasn't keen on doing if it meant another explosion. With 1 hp, he wasn't particularly fond of taking risks. But this was important. There was no telling what the machine did and even the slightest possibility of it being nefarious meant it had to be shut down. It was for the good of the monsters. If he survived, he was definitely going to give Papyrus a stern talking to.

"stand by the door, papyrus." Sans ordered as he steadily got closer.

Papyrus did as he was told with little protest. He probably knew he would be in trouble for invading in Sans's privacy, but for also meddling with something he didn't understand. Now closer to the machine, Sans found himself holding his breath. It was resonating and the pulse rumbled through his bones in a very strange way. It almost seemed like it was beckoning him to move in a specific way. The gamble was whether to concede or not. Sans deduced it was wiser to use his brain over his instinct in the given situation. There was no control panel or wiring visible on the exterior of the machine which therefore left him with the only option of opening the door. He took in a deep breath and reached for the handle, stiffening when the pulsing and humming abruptly stopped.

Sans glanced back one more time at Papyrus who seemed as anxious as he felt before he opened the door. Suddenly, there was a blinding light and the deafening sound of something akin to thunder but worse – as though the fabric of time and space was ripping itself apart. He was hit by a powerful blast that swept him off his feet. Sans wondered if this was what it was like when monsters died. The world around him was no more. Papyrus was gone. His lab was gone. Everything was gone. He felt himself floating weightlessly in a white abyss – the afterlife, Sans supposed. He figured it would be a dull, empty place. But then he soon found himself falling. The whiteness faded into blackness and then colour. He felt like he was falling for ages until he suddenly hit the ground with a near bone-shattering force. Black spots invaded his vision and he felt himself slipping away.

The last thing Sans thought he saw before he died was the vague silhouette of Papyrus and a pair of red eyes.

When Sans came to, 'confused' wasn't the right word to describe how he felt but it was the only one that came to mind. His blurred vision eventually focused on a familiar grainy ceiling and just when he understood what he was looking at, he realised he was lying on a rather comfortable bed. His bed. Shortly after, he however noticed there was a less than comfortable shackle tied around his ankle. Sans pushed himself up with his forearms and glanced at his legs to find the left one had been tied to the bed. The shackle wasn't too tight, but it was heavy and it weighed down his already aching leg. In fact, his entire body felt sore.

The smaller skeleton allowed himself to fall back against the bed. He extended his arms and sighed deeply, regretting the action mere seconds later when his bones seized in protest. His entire body hurt. He vaguely remembered falling hard against the ground. Now that he thought about it, it was kind of incredible that his fall hadn't been enough to deplete him of his hp – though he wasn't complaining. He was alive somehow even if he had been sure he had died. Sans shut his eyes and considered what must have transpired instead. The machine probably exploded a second time and knocked him out of his lab. Papyrus probably picked him up and brought him into his room. Sans shifted, jingling the chain bound to his leg and the bed. If Papyrus had truly brought him back to his room, then why had he decided to tie him in place? What was the point?

And almost as though it were on cue, the door to his room suddenly clicked open. Sans pushed himself up again and was startled by who he found. It certainly looked like Papyrus…but it also didn't. The skeleton he was confronted with was probably an inch or two taller than his brother and possessed a wider build. He wore black armour decorated with a silver sigil and two badges that were partially covered by the crimson scarf he wore loosely around his neck. His cheekbones were sharp and defined and his teeth were menacingly shark-like. However, his most striking features were likely his red eyes and the scar that sliced through his right one.

"Oh good. You're awake." He said with feigned interest. Sans apprehensively watched the skeleton strut to a chair at the opposite side of the room before dragging it by his bedside. He then took a seat and looked at Sans expectantly. "Well?" He demanded, after an extended moment.

"who…are you?" Sans asked slowly.

Probably the most astonishing thing about the stranger, aside from the weird subtle similarities to Papyrus, was that he was a skeleton. As far as Sans was concerned, he and Papyrus were the only monsters of such a kind in the Underground. Where had this one been hiding all this time? And why? He moved slightly and his chain clanked once more, reminding him of his very vulnerable situation. If the other decided he wanted to kill him, there was little he could do to stop him. The shackle prevented him from teleporting away and so his life was literally out of his hands.

"No, that's the question _you're_ supposed to be answering." The skeleton corrected with a hint of annoyance.

Sans didn't understand.

"i'm…sans." He said and tensed when the other skeleton didn't seem to like his answer. "who are you?"

"No, who are _you_?" The stranger instead repeated aggressively.

Sans didn't understand what kind of answer he wanted if not his name. "i'm sans…sans the skeleton…"

"Do I look stupid to you?" The skeleton hissed.

Sans leaned back uneasily. He didn't understand. Why was his answer unacceptable? "what do you want me to say?"

"The truth." He snapped, closing his hands into fists. It seemed he was currently running the risk of getting slugged probably in the face.

"i've been telling you the truth! what do you want me to say!?" Sans retorted in frustration. It was a risky move to blow up in such a fashion, but he didn't know what else to do. Not only that, but he too had questions of his own he wanted answered. "and why am i here? where's my brother?"

The skeleton seemed to calm his temper despite still being visibly irritated. He seemed particularly interested in the last question he had posed. "I didn't see anyone else when I found you." He replied, "You have a brother?"

Sans nodded slowly. He wasn't sure whether telling him was a good idea or not, but he didn't have many options at his disposal. "his name's papyrus." He supplied, "he—" but he interrupted himself when the other's face contorted in confusion. "…what?"

"Are you…" The skeleton started but seemed unsure on how to proceed. "Are you…something Alphys created? Are you some joke robot she sent to taunt me?"

"w-what? no!" Sans stammered and grimaced as well. "no! what the hell?"

How did this stranger know Alphys? The yellow dinosaur wasn't a very social creature and was easily intimidated. Sans found it hard to believe the two knew each other and that they were good enough friends for her to send him robots as a joke. But why would she make robots of him and send it to someone he didn't know? He was starting to develop a headache. Later, when he had the time, he would need to search the dictionary for a word that better defined the level of confusion he was experiencing.

"Then who the fuck are you!?" The skeleton snapped and lunged out of his chair, grabbing Sans by his sweater. "You're not a fucking robot and you're not Sans so who _are_ you!?"

Sans gritted his teeth together and anxiously gripped the large hand that squeezed the fabric of his shirt and sweater so uncomfortably around his neck. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't lying and yet the other didn't seem to believe him. "i _am_ sans!" He insisted, "i don't know what to tell you or how to prove it!"

"You're not Sans!" The skeleton shouted.

"why do you keep saying that!?" Sans barked. He was truly at his wit's end.

"Because I would recognise my own brother!" The skeleton growled.

The exclamation brought about of wave of tense silence that froze them both in place. Sans took a minute to process what the affirmation meant, thoroughly confused by it. He only had one brother and it was Papyrus. Was this skeleton suggesting he was his long lost youngest or oldest brother? How was this making any sense?

"what's your name?" Sans asked as he desperately tried to make sense of what was going on.

"Papyrus." The taller skeleton answered. And slowly, things began to click into place. "I'm first lieutenant of the Royal Guard, bound to the service of King Asgore and charged with the protection of the Snowdin region. Now _who_ are you?"


	2. Many-Worlds Interpretation

**This updated much faster than I thought it would! My theory is that I have to do shit for University and so my procrastination inspired me to work on chapter 2 much sooner than intended :D**

 **Now despite the day gap between updates, this story won't necessarily update daily but rather whenever I complete a chapter. So the next chapter could come in a few days or in a few weeks. I'm pretty hyped though so I don't see myself waiting too long before writing the next one.**

 **Now, ENJOY!**

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Flummoxed. Sans was greatly flummoxed – or rather he had been. The moment the taller skeleton had divulged his name, everything began to click into place. A theory was forming in his head; one that could only be confirmed by asking a few more questions and taking a gander outside or maybe even at the rest of the house. If he really was in an alternate universe, it was incredible that he had fallen into one where his room was the exact same as in his own universe. And as much as the possibility excited the science enthusiast in him, it also terrified him. How was he supposed to get home?

"you're not my brother." Sans said.

"And you're not mine." The other Papyrus replied, irritated.

"can i…take a look outside?" Sans asked slowly. When he shifted to sit more comfortably on the bed, the chain jangled once more reminding the both of them of how he was bound in place.

The other Papyrus looked at him sceptically. "How do I know you won't try to escape?"

"trust me," Sans sighed, "if i'm right about what i think is going on, there's nowhere for me to run or hide."

The other Papyrus considered the answer for a moment. He took so long to make a decision that Sans was beginning to think he would leave him tied to the bed. However, after what seemed like forever, he reached for the shackle with a small key in hand and unlocked it. Sans sighed at the release of pressure, immediately massaging the bone that had been confined. He felt more comfortable now that he stood a chance of defending himself if the other Papyrus decided to finally lash out.

Sans scooted to the edge of the bed and swung his legs over to stand. The other Papyrus moved out of his chair and took a couple of steps back to respectfully give him space – a courtesy he didn't expect to be given to him. With a deep breath, he pushed his feet on the ground and moved to stand but his body ached too much and he couldn't hold himself up. Sans would have collapsed on the ground had he not caught himself on the nearby chair. Much to his surprise, the other Papyrus came to lend him a hand.

"Are you alright?" He asked gruffly, taking a hold of his arm to help him up.

"not really…" Sans groaned but chuckled all the same. "everything hurts."

The other Papyrus sighed deeply as though he had been told something bothersome. Sans was annoyed by his reaction, but before he could retort with something snarky, he was swept off his feet and into the stranger's arms. It was startling to say the least.

"Where do you want to go?" The other Papyrus demanded with great exasperation.

"y-you don't have to carry me!" Sans stammered.

"I don't want to spend five _years_ walking you to wherever." The other Papyrus retorted rudely, "I want answers now and this is the quickest way to get them. So _where_ do you want to go?"

"the…the window." Sans conceded begrudgingly.

The other Papyrus carried him to the point in question and tilted him to allow him to see properly. Sans was both awed and mystified by the apparent kindness he was being shown – even if it was veiled in rudeness and impatience. He glanced outside and tensed at the sight with which he was confronted. It was dark and there wasn't much to be seen other than trees, but that was all he needed to see to confirm he was no longer in his universe.

"What's wrong?" The other Papyrus asked. He was surprisingly perceptive. He would need to keep that in mind if he was stranded in this strange place for long.

"the trees." Sans replied, pointing at them. "they're firs where i come from."

"Where you come from?" The other Papyrus reiterated sceptically.

Sans could tell just by the way he had spoken that he wouldn't believe him if he tried telling him he was from a different universe. He needed to find a way to convince him that he was going to speak the truth if the situation was going to turn in his favour. He pondered for a minute when he was struck with an idea.

"check me." Sans requested. The other Papyrus looked off put by the demand. "just do it. it'll prove i'm who i say i am."

The other Papyrus gave a hesitant nod before complying. "Sans the Skeleton." He read tensely – as though he didn't like it for whatever reason. "1hp, 1atk, and 1def." He paused before finishing with: "He's going to tell the truth."

"i need you to believe me." Sans said, "it'll make this so much easier."

The other Papyrus seemed very sceptical now and yet, he seemed ready to give him a chance. "Okay." That was all he needed.

"have you ever heard of the many-worlds interpretation?" He asked.

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Sans explained the Many-Worlds Interpretation for what felt like hours. He had started by giving the other Papyrus the short version, but the latter had asked a series of questions that demanded more details and further in depth explanations. If the skeleton was meant to be his brother's alter ego, the pertinent questions established a case for the opposite to be true. Never would his Papyrus have asked such intelligent questions – not because he was dumb but rather because it demanded an interest in the topic. And not only did the other Papyrus seem intrigued by it, he seemed to follow the complicated science jargon with relative ease. Maybe this universe was meant to be something like the opposite of his world.

"Alright, I've heard enough." The other Papyrus eventually said, halting any further discussion on the Many-Worlds Interpretation. "If you're truly from a different universe, how did you wind up in mine?"

"i don't know…i guess it was my machine." Sans supposed. He never could have anticipated that his machine served to travel dimensions. Why did he even possess such a contraption? "my brother fixed it and there was an explosion when i tried shutting it down."

"Why did you do that?" The other Papyrus grimaced.

"i didn't know what it did." Sans replied. "it could have been a doomsday machine for all i knew."

"Why would you keep a potential doomsday machine in your house?" The other Papyrus asked, looking at Sans like he was stupid.

In hindsight, maybe it hadn't been the best storage location. "it was in a secret room my brother shouldn't have been able to find." Sans explained. "speaking of, do you know if your sans has one?"

The other Papyrus tensed at the question. "A doomsday machine or a secret room?" He asked.

"both." Sans replied.

"As far as I'm concerned, no." The other Papyrus replied with a small shrug. His movements were slightly limited by his hold on Sans.

"well let's go see to make sure." Sans declared.

He gripped the other Papyrus and, without a word of warning, teleported them outside to the back of the house. The taller skeleton fell on the ground, evidently unaccustomed to teleportation. Sans himself had fallen over a handful of times when he was first getting used to his ability. The other Papyrus blinked in confusion and darted his gaze around as he tried to process the abrupt shift in scenery.

"How…what?" He mumbled beneath his breath, flummoxed.

"teleportation." Sans supplied as he tried to stand, but his body was still too sore to make the task an easy one. He faltered as he attempted to be upright, but managed not to collapse entirely. Still, the other Papyrus swooped in to take the strain off him.

"Don't hurt yourself." He grumbled and picked him up again. "I didn't know my Sans could teleport."

"maybe he can't." Sans shrugged. "this is an alternate universe – at least, it is to me. not everything is going to be the same."

"So why did you bring us out here?" The other Papyrus asked, looking around again.

"i came looking for the entrance to a secret lab." Sans replied, spotting a suspicious pile of wood nestle against the wall. "it's where i kept mine."

"Well, I don't see—" The taller skeleton started but was interrupted when Sans used his blue magic to move the stack of wood, revealing a door.

"bingo." He grinned and teleported them inside.

The other Papyrus fell onto the floor again when they landed into the other room. "A little warning would be nice before you zip us around." He grumbled as he picked himself up. "I'm starting to feel nauseous."

"you'll get used to it." Sans said, extending his arms to be picked up.

The room in which they found themselves was clearly small, but it was too dark to make out much of anything. The other Papyrus headed for the wall and felt around it until he found a light switch. The fluorescent fixtures blinked rapidly before humming to life and dissipating the darkness. The lab looked remarkably like Sans's. The only few noticeable differences were in terms of the layout and general state. The room almost seemed inversed and it was less kept than his own – like it hadn't been used in a very long time. Regardless, it made him wonder if there was such a thing as the eternal constancy – something that would never change about any universe despite there being an infinite amount.

"What the…" The other Papyrus muttered to himself. He bore an absolutely astonished expression – one that conveyed how much he struggled to believe what he was staring at. It made Sans feel a little guilty. This Papyrus seemed almost troubled by the revelation of such a secret. Had his brother felt the same way?

"over there." Sans instructed, pointing to a large object covered in an off-white tarp. However, the other Papyrus was too awestruck by his surroundings to register the order. "papyrus." Sans said, gently tapping his face. It effectively snapped the taller skeleton out of his thoughts. "over there."

The other Papyrus nodded sheepishly and complied. They sauntered to the hidden object close enough for Sans to be able to reach for the tarp and pull it off. A cloud of dust amassed around them and when it cleared, it revealed the machine the smaller skeleton expected to see. It was far more busted than the version he had in his universe – before Papyrus fixed it. What was most peculiar about this version of the machine, however, was that it seemed as though it had been purposefully destroyed. Like someone, probably the Sans of this universe, had lost patience with it and taken out his anger by repeatedly smashing a wrench or something bigger into it. Whatever it was, it was going to take more time than he wanted to get it up and running.

"It's a piece of junk." The other Papyrus commented.

"it's my key to get home." Sans clarified. "and it's going to be a big piece of work."

"How long is it going to take you?" The other Papyrus asked.

"no idea." Sans admitted. "but i'd like to get to work on it as soon as possible."

"How are you going to do that?" The other Papyrus scoffed, "You can hardly stand on your own."

Sans was taken aback by the response. "i…uh…i honestly thought that you were going to help me." Sans said awkwardly.

The other Papyrus looked at him blankly before bursting out into obscene laughter. "That rich!" He exclaimed, "You really expected me to put my life on hold to give you a hand?"

"um…yeah." Sans replied, folding his arms over his chest. This universe's Papyrus was kind of a jerk. Maybe his assumption had been unrealistic, but there were more polite ways to shut him down.

"If I was some measly scout and if I _cared_ , I wouldn't say no." He arrogantly declared, "But I'm _first lieutenant_ of the Royal Guard _and_ the Ogruf of Snowdin. I have a huge stack of responsibilities to oversee not only to the crown, but to the area of Snowdin as well, and your appearance has already inconvenienced me enough." And without warning, he rudely dropped Sans on the ground and placed his arms akimbo. Sans winced at the impact and glared up at him. "Figure this mess out yourself. I'm busy."

The other Papyrus turned on his heels and sauntered towards the door. Sans watched him go with great frustration. He wasn't in a condition to overtake the task of fixing the machine alone and he would likely need material that wasn't already readily available in the lab. He had no idea how he was supposed to tackle this situation alone and he struggled to believe there was a Papyrus in this infinite multiverse that didn't possess the heart and compassion of his brother.

"can i…can i at least stay here?" Sans asked just as the other Papyrus unlocked the door.

"Just willy-nilly like I don't pay for shit? Are you kidding me?" The other Papyrus scowled at him. He was much more tolerable a few minutes ago. Sans had no idea why asking for a favour was enough to turn him into an ass. "I don't know how it works where you're from, but here you don't get anything without giving something in return."

"what can i do?" Sans asked.

The other Papyrus considered the offer and Sans realised just how vulnerable he currently was. In a world where his brother's alter ego was an Ogruf and edgy to the point of being as ass, he could only imagine how welcoming the other monsters of the Underground were. Being on his own in such a familiar bur foreign place was out of the question. He hated that he currently depended on someone that was so mean.

"You're not stupid…" The other Papyrus hummed pensively. "You'll be my assistant. You'll help me make up for the time you took from my work and in your spare time, you can fix your dimension hopping machine."

"okay." He agreed and tried to stand. He supposed he could have been given a much more terrible deal. His legs trembled but his knees didn't buckle. He leaned on a nearby desk before his body could give up on him. "can i start tomorrow? everything still hurts…"

The other Papyrus glanced him over looking rather unimpressed. "Such weakness isn't suitable for this world." He commented stiffly. "But you're not from here. I'll give you a pass. Rest for today and tomorrow you'll start."

"great." Sans sighed and teleported to his room – or rather his alter ego's room. He wondered if he would be bothered with him. The last thing he must have been expecting out of today was a new roommate – let alone a doppelganger. That being said, an alternate version of oneself was the ideal roomy. Sans could make a case for it not being so bad, if other Sans was upset. He wondered when they would finally meet.

Sans collapsed on the bed and felt himself begin to doze off. It was weird that the other Papyrus had hardly made a mention of his Sans. Granted, the conversation they had had didn't allow much for any specific discussion of his sibling, but whatever he had already said felt short and distant. Not to mention that he had initially very angry with his claims of _being_ Sans. Though his anger could be chalked off as reasonable given the circumstances, there was something about it that made the smaller skeleton believe he had been offended. He could be wrong. Something was definitely off about the other Papyrus, but for the moment, Sans couldn't care. He was tired and aching. Hopefully, he would be back home before he knew it. Papyrus was probably very worried about him.


	3. A Crooked Place

**As you can now see, the updates are slowing down a lot but I'm still going strong. I actually need to work on Uni stuff but it's so frigging boring and working on this story is worlds more fun.**

 **So we now see my priorities haha.**

 **I'm glad to see how many of you are intrigued by what's going on so far. Don't be afraid to share your predictions with me! I won't tell you whether you're right, wrong or slightly off, but it'll be fun to review later when answers have been given.**

 **Now, ENJOY!**

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 ******NOTE: If you want more details on how I established the sort of political regime of Underfell, find this story on AO3 and look at the bottom notes.**

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When Sans woke up he felt much better. His body wasn't as sore nor as weak as it had been the day before and he could hold himself up without the threat of his knees buckling beneath him. He stretched as he got out of bed, glancing around the room. It was just as he had left it. There were no signs indicating that his alter ego had swung by to grab or leave anything. Had he even come home? Was he even _around_? Sans supposed he could ask the other Papyrus.

 _i need to give him a name…_ He thought to himself as he made his way to his door. It felt weird to refer to the other skeleton as 'Papyrus' when he hardly looked anything like him. Even if there were more resemblances, he still wouldn't have felt right about it.

He stepped into the dreary corridor, beholding the sight of this dimension's version of his home. It was, in a word, edgier. The painting of the bone he and Papyrus kept was where it ought to be but instead depicted a broken femur with marrow seeping out. The sofa nestled against the wall was made of black leather and was fairly beat up. The carpet on the upper and bottom floors were of a dusty grey and the walls were painted crimson. It was as though the skeleton brothers of this universe had made a pledge to be as edgy as possible so as to appear cool – it frankly came off as silly.

Sans shook his head and was about to head for the stairs when he caught a whiff of something. Now that he listened, he could hear someone – probably the other Papyrus – in the kitchen. Whatever he was cooking smelled nice albeit a bit burnt. Regardless, it was worlds better than whatever his brother could make back home. The thought still made Sans a bit sad. He had only been gone for a full day so far and he already missed Papyrus. Odds were he wouldn't be returning home anytime soon either. The smaller skeleton sighed and shook his head again, now walking down the stairs. He wasn't about to let himself begin to despair just yet. Even if it was later rather than sooner, he would one day return home he was sure of it.

He came upon the kitchen to find the skeleton he had assumed he would see working at the stove. He seemed focused on the task at hand to the point where he might not have noticed Sans—

"You're awake." He unexpectedly said, refuting the presumption the other had so recently made.

 _nevermind._ Sans thought to himself. "good morning." He greeted as he strolled in.

"There's nothing good about this morning." The other Papyrus grumbled.

Sans rolled his eyes. So the skeleton was _that_ kind of morning person. "what are you cooking, edge?" He asked peeking over his shoulder.

"'Edge'?" Edge repeated, lifting an eyebrow at him.

"yeah. feels weird to call you 'papyrus' so i figured i'd call you something else." Sans shrugged, inspecting the food in the pan. It kind of looked like eggs – maybe an omelette.

"Why 'Edge'?" He asked and seemed rather amused even if he lacked a smile of any sort.

"cuz your house is the edgiest thing i've ever seen." Sans stated bluntly and surprisingly earned a chuckle. Maybe Edge wasn't such a grim morning person after all. "so what are you making?"

"A spinach and potato frittata." Edge replied, adjusting it with the plastic spatula he wielded in his right hand. "I might have overcooked it a little."

"i'll get the plates." Sans offered and shifted towards the cupboards. He searched the one where he and Papyrus kept the plates back home only to find it filled with cups. His next guess was the place where they kept the cups and lo and behold he found plates. Some of the changes in this universe were almost petty. "should i set three?"

Edge stiffened and Sans felt as though he had stepped on a land mine.

"Three?" Edge asked tensely.

"um…yeah…" Sans confirmed sheepishly. He probably shouldn't have. "i mean…assuming my alter ego's joining us."

"He's not." Edge replied shortly and aggressively tossed the spatula aside. He brought the pan to the table and rudely threw it down, causing Sans to instinctively flinch at the loud clank. Edge grabbed one from his hands and served himself a portion of the breakfast. "I'm going to eat in my study. Join me when you're done your breakfast."

Sans watched him go guiltily. He was annoyed with how sour the other had gotten over such an innocent question but he also felt bad. Clearly, the topic of his alter ego was a sore spot. Sans wondered why. Seeing as this universe seemed to be the opposite of his own in many ways, was it possible that this world's Sans and Papyrus didn't get along? It was difficult to fathom. He wondered what had happened between the two to estrange them so much. Whatever it was, Edge certainly seemed wounded by it. Maybe in due time, he would discover the answer provided he was around for long enough.

For the moment, however, it was wiser for the smaller skeleton to not indulge in his curiosity and give Edge some space. He took a seat at the kitchen table and slowly ate his frittata. It was surprisingly very good. And though it smelt burnt, it didn't taste it at all. The flavours of the different ingredients melded together quite nicely and Sans found himself going back for seconds. If only _his_ Papyrus could learn to cook this well. When he finished, he set his dish in the sink and rinsed it before poking around the house for the study. He found its entrance in the living room just next to where the TV had been set. Sans was surprised he hadn't noticed it prior. He strolled in easily, wondering if it was going to bother Edge. In his defense, he was doing as he was told.

He found the skeleton sitting behind a large, lavish desk the surface of which was covered in stacks of papers. The room was fairly cramped with barely enough space for the small library on the wall to the right and the sorting cabinet just by the entrance. Edge was working diligently, not bothering to look up at Sans. Though he harboured some doubt, the smaller skeleton was reasonably certain the other was aware of his presence and had simply elected not to mention nor acknowledge it. It had been said case just moments ago.

"hey." Sans mumbled, announcing himself all the same.

"You're faster than I thought you would be." Edge commented, setting down the papers he had been holding to sign them.

"so what do you want me to do?" Sans asked.

"I need you to sort through this pile." Edge stated, pointing at the smaller one with his pen without sparring him a glance. "It goes into the sorting cabinet behind you. I want them sorted by type and topic. The reports you come across are to be set aside. Once you finish doing that, I want you to start looking through the bigger pile and brief me on the content of the files."

"and when i finish can i go work on the mawoin machine?" Sans probed, dragging his feet closer to the desk.

"The what now?" Edge queried, grimacing his puzzlement.

"the many-worlds interpretation machine." Sans specified, rolling his eyes. It wasn't _that_ complicated to figure out.

"Is that what it's called?" Edge snorted.

Sans shrugged, "it's the name i gave it just now."

"You have a strange love for naming things." He mumbled shaking his head. "Anyways, if you do a good enough job, yes. If you don't, you're going to assist me in gathering the reports of our sentries."

"what quantifies as a good enough job?" Sans asked.

"For one: not posing unnecessary questions and getting to work promptly." Edge chastised, signing another paper.

Sans rolled his eyes in exasperation. "alright." he grumbled.

His work was boring, to say the least. It took him about twenty minutes to sort all of the already signed documents and place them in their appropriate locations. Once that was done, he began the second task he had been assigned which was equally uninteresting. However, the documents he skimmed through gave him very fascinating information concerning the functioning of this universe's Underground. As Edge's title as Ogruf would suggest, a fascist dictatorship was what kept society from breaking into chaos. King Asgore had successfully established a cult of his person which inspired fear and consequently obedience in his subjects. That being said, the reports Edge already possessed indicated that it still wasn't enough to produce a low crime rate. In fact, Sans had never seen such high rates of homicide and theft ever, but what was most astonishing was that most of the monsters found guilty weren't arrested.

"why are so many of these monsters free to walk?" Sans asked, handing over a report.

"Briefing." Edge commanded rather than answer.

Sans sighed deeply. "some rock kid from northern snowdin massacred a family of bunbuns." He informed with a hint of disgust. Such carelessness for the lives of others was astounding to him. "doggo recommends bringing this up with undyne."

"Yeah, kid's probably expecting a badge or something." Edge huffed. Sans couldn't believe how amused he seemed.

"you're rewarding a child for murder?" Sans gawked in astonishment. To each society their own customs and norms, but this was absolutely ridiculous.

"Sure." Edge shrugged. "He displayed impressive strength at a young age. We might recruit him for the guard when he grows up."

"how is that even a little okay?" Sans demanded. He had never been so flabbergasted in his life.

Edge sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose, blatantly stating his annoyance. "Homicide is legal here." He explained. "Around four decades ago, almost five, the Underground was severely overpopulated and something had to be done to reduce the number of births. Homicide was already a huge problem so King Asgore legalised it with certain restrictions. For instances, it's illegal to kill someone just because you feel like killing someone, and the crown and the crown's representatives are off limits. It's now our means to control the growth of the population."

"that's barbaric." Sans gasped. "no wonder the crime rates are so high."

"What are you talking about?" Edge grimaced, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair. "They're as low as they've ever been. Homicide isn't a crime anymore. We still keep track of it, however, for the sake of keeping tabs on the population."

"and what about the issue of theft?" Sans inquired. He remembered how the word came up frequently in some of the reports and documents he had skimmed through.

"Well, it's an issue." Edge conceded, "But seeing as being stolen from is grounds to kill someone and protecting your own life is also a justification for homicide, the problem ends up solving itself. Though not legal, theft is generally tolerated given the amount of orphans we have _and_ our growing issue of diminishing resources. That being said, no one here steals if they can't get away with it, but even then; we have rules. For example, you can't steal the property of the crown nor of the Ogrufs as they represent the crown. We still have idiots who think it's okay though; mostly kids. They're usually easy to deal with."

"have you…have you ever killed a child?" Sans asked, unsure if he wanted to know the answer. His fists were trembling with anger and revolt. How could such a society exist with no uproar from the people?

"Sure." Edge confessed with disregard, like it was a normal thing to do. "A week before you got here, I killed Dogressa's kid. Bastard thought he could get away with stealing from me."

Sans's mouth fell open. Words escaped him. There was nothing that could describe just how disgusted he was by the skeleton sitting in front of him. He spoke about death and murder so nonchalantly, as though there was nothing wrong with such a heinous everyday occurrence. Surely there were other ways to control the issues of overpopulation and lack of resources. Why had they settled for something so violent and heart breaking?

"Don't look at me like that." Edge ordered, reaching for another report to sign.

"you killed a child." Sans stated with horror and anger.

"So? You're more upset than Dogressa was. Calm down." Edge shrugged him off, again, like it wasn't such a big deal.

"calm down?" Sans reiterated in utter awe. This universe was insane. He needed to go home immediately. He wanted nothing to do with such a horrible place. "you _killed_ a child."

"So did you." Edge replied, glaring up at Sans. The latter flinched. What made him think that? "Don't look so surprised. You're guilt is drenched all over you; it's obvious in everything you do – especially right now. So get off your high horse. You're as much of a scum as you think I am."

"how…how can you be okay with this?" Sans queried, his voice trembling. This world was so horrible.

"It's part of life here. In this world, it's kill or be killed." Edge elucidated, reaching for the pile of unread documents. "Homicide may have been legalised only a few decades ago, but it's been part of my world from the moment I was born. People did it to vent their frustration of being trapped down here. It's normal."

"have you all just lost hope?" Sans probed, dropping his fists in resignation.

"Yes." Edge replied heavily. His eyes seemed to go vacant and his shoulders slacked like a weight had been added to them. However, considering the recent confession of murder, it was hard to feel sympathetic for him.

"this place is horrible." Sans mumbled beneath his breath and rubbed a trembling hand over his skull.

"Agreed." Edge nodded; he almost looked sad, "But it is what it is. If you're lucky, you won't have to bare this place for much longer." There was a heavy pause for a moment. The smaller skeleton couldn't bring himself to look at the other, too perturbed by the confession of murder he had so easily brushed off. Nevertheless, he could feel that the tension that almost suffocated them was inching more towards sadness than annoyance or anger. "On that note," Edge finally said, shattering the silence. He stretched out his hand and shooed Sans away as though he were nothing more than a petulant child. "All you're doing is distracting me with your pointless questions and moral talks. Go work on your man-whatever machine."

"mawoin." Sans corrected silently, but doing so had probably been pointless. He teleported away before Edge could add anything – though there was a fair chance that he hadn't intended to. He wasn't as predictable as Sans would have liked him to be.

He landed in the small lab only then realising that one of the walls separated he and Edge. Sans wished the two rooms didn't neighbour each other. He looked at it and sighed deeply. He missed his Papyrus. He missed his home. He missed being in an environment where people cared for one another despite not necessarily knowing each other. Hopefully, he wouldn't be stuck in this terrible place for too long. The more he learned about it, the more homesick he got.

The smaller skeleton forced himself to focus on his new task at hand. Normally, he would have found a place to nap, but he had no time to be lazy. He almost smiled at himself thinking how proud his brother would be of him, however the recent conversation kept the frown on his face in place. He sauntered towards the MaWoIn Machine and inspected it carefully, taking note of what needed to be done. He needed new metal plates to repair the dented ones, a handful of electrical wires of varying sizes, and a new door. Sans sighed heavily and scratched his head. He would probably need many more things, but those were the only glaring repairs he currently noticed.

He glanced back at the wall almost as though he could see through it and find Edge mindlessly signing away documents and reports to congratulate murderers. He would need to ask him for the missing pieces and God only knew what sort of assistant work he would make him do in order to 'deserve' them. But Sans wasn't ready to talk with him just yet. He started taking the MaWoIn Machine apart instead, casting the broken parts into a pile of junk and creating another one for the bits that could be salvaged and repaired. He spent the rest of his day doing just that, trying to forget the immoral laws of this Underground until it was time to go to sleep. But he couldn't and his mind wandered to the six human children he had killed back home.


	4. A Law-abiding Skeleton

**With my reading week ending, the updates to this story are really going to take a dive in terms of waiting. I've got so much shit to do and my friend is stressing me the fuck out for a project we're doing together and a bunch of other Uni stuff is giving me anxiety. I don't want to go into it, all of this is just to say, real life is keeping me busy and, like it or not, it has to be my first priority.**

 **I don't have much else to say so, ENJOY!**

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Three days had passed with limited progress on the MaWoIn Machine. Sans had discovered it was far more busted than he ever could have anticipated, much to his dismay, and it had taken the aforementioned timeframe to strip it of all of its problems. Now he was left with hardly the skeleton of a structure he not only didn't understand but had no clue on how to rebuild properly. He took a step back and sat by the enormous pile of junk, leaning back with a heavy sigh. He hadn't yet gone scavenging through the drawers of the desk and cabinets because he had expected to cross paths with his alter ego shortly after his first full day in this crooked place. And yet, half a week had passed with no signs of him.

He wondered if his doppelganger would mind if he went through his stuff to look for some blueprints that would help him rebuild what he took apart. Sans threw himself against the ground and stretched his limbs with a languid groan. It was probably safe to assume that if the other Sans didn't show up within the next few hours, he probably wasn't going to for the next few days maybe even the next few weeks. With a brother like Edge, it was rather understandable.

His stomach grumbled, interrupting his train of thought. Since Edge had sent him away, he hadn't eaten nor returned to the room he had been loaned. He couldn't work up the strength to do so what with being far too disgusted by his murderous actions and the lack of regard for the lives of others. Sans frowned and wondered why the taller skeleton hadn't come to fetch him of his own volition to force him to undertake the tasks he was sworn to. Maybe Edge was just as annoyed of him and wanted some space. It wouldn't really surprise him.

Sans sat up and looked at the MaWoIn machine. He had also needed space and he had buried himself in his work to return home, but he had now gotten as far as he could without the help of Edge. Like it or not, it was the time he ask for another favour and sell himself in return. He didn't like depending on someone with such skewed moralities. He supposed he could stall by searching for the blueprints he needed first. Anything to buy him more time away from the other.

The smaller skeleton pushed himself up and wandered to the drawer he usually kept the blueprints. Surprisingly, it was right where he expected them to be. He had thought his search would have lasted much longer than it did given some of the small and almost insignificant changes in this world. Regardless, Sans cleared a space on the desk and set the blueprints down. They were still covered in the incomprehensible chicken scratch of a language he had never seen before. He sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his head. It was going to take him a while to decipher the general instructions as there was only so much he understood by looking at the drawings and arrows pointing every which way. Sans almost felt discouraged at the thought of the time added to his stay in this universe by this new obstacle.

However, he was suddenly interrupted when the door to the hidden lab swung open and revealed the tall brooding skeleton Sans still wasn't ready to confront. He glanced away almost as soon as their eyes met and folded the blueprints to put away. Edge sighed loudly and Sans turned his back to him, sauntering towards the machine to look busy. For a moment, the other didn't say anything nor call out his blatant façade. Whatever the reason for his delayed reaction was, Sans was still anticipating a scolding of some sort.

"You really…progressed? Or, um…" Edge eventually said uncertainly, like he was trying to make small talk but didn't know how. Sans glanced back at him with a grimace. It was the last kind of response he had expected. "I'm trying." He conceded with a heavy sigh.

"what do you want?" Sans asked, shaking his head. The other's poor attempt at idle chatter _wasn't_ funny – or so he tried to convince himself.

"You haven't eaten in three days." Edge sighed. The smaller skeleton was surprised that his wellbeing was at the fore front of his concerns. "You also haven't been coming to my study to fill your duties as my assistant."

"i'm trying to leave this place." Sans stated.

"And until then, your stay here is costing me money." Edge replied, arms akimbo. "The _least_ you can do is be helpful and own up to how you derailed my life."

Sans sighed with irritation. He almost wanted to argue with Edge but the latter almost always seemed to have an answer for everything. "fine." He agreed shortly. "but i need you to get some stuff for me."

"Like what?" Edge asked with a light groan.

The smaller skeleton pointed to the machine behind him. "i need to replace a lot of components for this thing." He replied, "i'll need metal plates, some wires—"

"I'm going to stop you right there." Edge interrupted. "There's no way I'm going to remember that so make me a list. Until then, I made you some food and I want your help with my work."

Sans frowned and cocked his head curiously to the side. "okay?"

Was that really it?

"What?" Edge returned, confused.

"you're not going to ominously tell me that this favour is going to need extra sacrifice?" Sans asked.

Edge looked around dumbly. "No…?" He answered slowly. "What more can I make you do?"

Sans blushed a little in embarrassment. "um…i don't know. you're the evil one." He shrugged.

"Heh. Evil." Edge muttered with a fake smile. He casted his glance away and whether Sans wanted to notice it or not, he looked hurt. It bothered him. Edge was a murderer and yet Sans still felt speckles of guilt unnerve his soul.

"no." Sans declared almost angrily. "you don't get to act like a beaten puppy after all the bad things you admitted to doing."

"Bad?" Edge repeated with a glare. "I was following _our_ law. There was a price to pay for committing a theft and that dumb kid knew what he was getting into! So why am I garbage for following our laws while the kid who broke them is an innocent snowflake!?"

"he made a mistake—" Sans argued.

"Oh, it was a mistake." Edge interrupted sarcastically. "You're right. I see now. I should have let myself go poor because _someone_ _decided_ they wanted to take something that wasn't theirs. It was _just_ a foolish youthful mistake that I should have taken in stride."

"that's not what i mean!" Sans snapped. "i'm not saying he's innocent or pure! i'm saying that you didn't have to kill him to teach him that what he did was wrong!"

"Right, right." Edge scowled sarcastically, "Because _you're_ such a Saint yourself. Tell me, did you try to be as noble as you're saying I should have been with the kid _you_ killed?"

Sans tensed and clenched his fists. He had no idea how Edge had concluded such a thing by just observing him. He didn't remotely believe it was as obvious as he proclaimed it to be. "i don't know how you know that," Sans started bitterly, "but _i_ didn't have a choice! When my King couldn't rise to the task, i took the burden from him for the sake of our people – our prosperity! _i_ didn't do it because i enjoyed it!"

"So is this what your sourpuss attitude has been all about?" Edge demanded. "You're obsessing over the moral dilemma of our laws, our way of life, and you're accusing me of enjoying murder without bothering to ask how I really felt about what I did?" Sans gritted his teeth together and looked away. Hadn't his earlier disregard spoken for itself? "Well listen here; you can criticise us – you can criticise _me_ all you like, but it's not going to change anything. I'm sorry I live in this fucking hell where we have to make do with what we can, with what works, to keep a semblance of order. And maybe our laws and day to day habits are morally wrong – no, they honestly are, I won't dispute you on that – but fuck you if you think everyone's okay with this. We don't have a choice to live this way and not _just_ because of the risk of overpopulation and the issue of our diminishing resources. A large portion of monsters are bloodthirsty and would murder, pillage, rape, and whatever else if there wasn't a powerful figure like King Asgore to control them. Whoever said you can't fight fire with fire is a fucking liar."

Before he could say anything more, Edge turned his heels and marched out of the lab, slamming the door shut behind him. Sans sighed heavily and threw his head up as he ruminated over their argument. He felt conflicted considering the other's perspective. He couldn't agree less with the functioning of this universe, and yet Edge had brought up valid points. This wasn't the Underground he was used to. Monsters here were fundamentally evil whereas, back home, they were good to the core. He was comparing two different societies under the same moral compass and though it may not have been a just thing to do, Sans couldn't find it in himself to cast aside his biases. Nevertheless, he still recognised that he was in the wrong in this argument. In the end, he had misjudged Edge. Perhaps he wasn't evil, but he certainly wasn't good either. He was simply law-abiding in a crooked world and, no matter how much Sans didn't like it, that didn't make him wrong nor bad.

He groaned, rubbing the back of his head in exasperation. He could almost hear Papyrus telling him that he should go apologise and make amends with Edge. And no matter how much he tried to excuse himself and argue that he shouldn't, Sans also knew deep down that it was the right thing to do. They were from different worlds, different societies. He wasn't in the same Underground anymore and would need to accept it for how it was.

 _Accepting doesn't mean you agree with it._ Sans reminded himself in Papyrus's voice.

He gave a final glance to the lab before teleporting into the kitchen. The first thing he saw was plate of steak with a side of potatoes sitting on the counter. When he turned around, he beheld the sight of Edge at the table with his head cradled in his hands. He didn't seem sad as much as he did exhausted. Sans felt bad considering how their argument had worn him down so much.

"You're not my brother." Edge stated quietly. Sans tensed at the unexpected remark. "I need to stop thinking that you'll start acting like him."

"what…what do you mean?" Sans asked, venturing slightly closer.

"You look like him so much." Edge said and he sounded so sad. "But that's where the resemblances end. You don't speak like him, you don't think like him, and you don't act like him."

"where is this coming from?" Sans asked, confused.

"Fuck…" Edge groaned, sitting back and lowering his hands from his face. He bore such a vulnerable expression. "I hate being like this…" He sighed deeply and looked at Sans. The latter was taken aback by how serious he seemed in that moment. "You want to know why I looked like 'a beaten puppy' when you said I was evil? It's because I felt like Sans, _my_ Sans, was saying that to me. And all that other shit you said…I know it's just shit, but I keep thinking it was my brother talking and I just—"

"i'm sorry." Sans intervened before he could continue spiralling down the depths of his tortured mind. Edge's gaze snapped up looking as lost as ever. Sans shifted nervously. "i'm not sorry for what i believe," He specified, "but i'm sorry that i hurt you."

"Pfft." Edge snorted bitterly. "That's also shit."

"it's not." Sans insisted calmly. "this world…it's not _my_ world. i get it now and i accept it. i don't agree with it, but i accept it. i'm going to keep having moral issues with it, but i understand that i may have been somewhat out of line."

Edge seemed astonished by the apology. "You're even…more mature than him." He mumbled mostly to himself.

Sans uttered a gentle scoff that was returned. Silence then fell upon the both of them and it was much more relaxed than the smaller skeleton expected it to be. With his apology spoken, he wasn't sure where to go with the conversation that was developing or maybe ending between them. It still felt like there was more to be said.

"can i…can i ask about him?" Sans hesitated. Every other time he had dared to bring up his alter ego, Edge had gotten absolutely furious with him. The last thing he wanted now was to summon his rage after they had just somewhat mended things.

"No." Edge answered firmly, but without any resentment.

"i want to know what happened." Sans said, hoping he wasn't pushing too much.

"I know." Edge sighed and pushed his chair back to stand up. "But I don't want to talk about it. I'll try to keep him from muddling my thoughts when I'm around you." He rubbed the back of his neck and gave Sans a tentative glance. "Eat and meet me in my study. I've got a lot of paperwork to sort through."

"hey." Sans muttered, stopping Edge just as he was heading out of the kitchen. "you're…you're not evil."

"I know." Edge said and left.

Sans sighed deeply. Now he felt better about the conversation they had had. Things were on the mend and maybe they could actually try developing a rapport or something of the like. He took the plate from the counter and sat at the table, digging in. It wasn't as hot as he would have liked it, but the food was incredible all the same. The cut of meat was perfectly flavourful and the spices that had been added accentuated it rather than muffled it. The potatoes were smooths and buttery with a hint of garlic and bits of chives, but also…parmesan? Sans couldn't understand how the taller skeleton was such an excellent chef. Regardless, it made his stay in this grim universe slightly more tolerable. He picked the plate clean and soaked it in bubbly water with a few other dirty dishes before meeting Edge in his study. His stomach felt full and satisfied after going for so long without food. Now he felt all the more energised.

Edge was already signing things at his desk, but this time he lifted his eyes to greet Sans. The latter offered him a small smile which was surprisingly returned, though only for the briefest seconds. Still, it was much better than the previous treatment he had been subjected to. Without needing many words of explanation but rather just some pointing, Sans sorted the already signed documents and reports accordingly and began digging through the unread pile that had probably grown since the last time he saw it. He was still repulsed by some of the horrible things he read, but digested them much easier. This time, he also kept his outraged comments to himself. His stay in some foreign world was already painful enough and he didn't need to add to his own misery by ostracising Edge. It would be easier staying somewhere where he felt so alone with a friend to offer him support. Maybe Edge could be that friend.


	5. Disappeared

**To be honest, I wasn't going to upload this story for a while. It's not that I was giving up on it, it's that so many people seemed so disinterested (except for my homie, shout out to galaxyskeleton) especially after chapter 3 where I blabbed about politics so much. So what I planned on doing was writing out the remaining chapters (there's going to be a total of 19) and then post them on a daily basis.**

 **It's something that I'm still considering, but now that there seems to be a sort of renewed interest, I'm asking for your opinion: would you prefer I continue to update this story whenever I get a chance to complete a chapter OR would you prefer that I finish writing everything and update a chapter per day?**

 **Note: I can't even begin to estimate how long the wait would be for option 2.**

 **So let me know in the comments which option you would prefer. If I don't get a lot of responses, I'm going to roll with option 2.**

 **But, for now, ENJOY!**

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Since their talk, Edge had taken a turn for the better. Sans found he was much more tolerable and compassionate now that he visibly made an effort to be better. It was much appreciated. Edge seemed pleased as well. In return, the smaller skeleton made a point to ignore the morally wrong aspects of the universe in which he was stranded. Whenever he came upon a document or report depicting a heinous but legal crime or something equally controversial, he took a deep breath and kept his comments and judgements for himself.

Sans was working on the MaWoIn Machine when the taller skeleton came to fetch him. He hadn't gotten very far in decoding the blueprints and was frankly getting frustrated with them. Seeing the other arrive with a task ready for him was a relief and would give him a well-needed moment to clear his head. It would do him some good to rest his mind from the problem he currently struggled with.

"more paperwork?" Sans guessed as he walked away from his alter ego's desk to meet Edge. "is that all you do for the royal guard?"

"Sometimes it seems like it." Edge sighed, glancing bitterly to the side. "But that's not what I want you to do today. Instead, I want to see if I can put your teleportation to good use."

"lay it on me." Sans shrugged, shoving his hands into his hoodie pockets.

Edge gestured him to follow as he lead the way out of the lab and around the house. "I have to pick up the reports from five of our sentry stations ranging from the Ruins to here." He explained, holding the door open for Sans. "It takes a while for me to walk the entire way and back. I could be doing more work if I had the ability to teleport around."

"you want me to fetch stuff for you?" Sans clarified, unimpressed.

They walked into Edge's study. His work desk had been cleared to make space for the long map of Snowdin. Sans noticed five red dots stapled onto it, likely identifying the sentry stations he was expected to go to.

"I don't see why it would be such a problem." Edge defended. "How long have you spent locked away in this house? Aren't you dying for some fresh air?"

"i guess i am." Sans conceded, "i just expected that my first time exploring this place would be with you giving me a tour, not some grocery run."

"I didn't think you were curious about our version of Snowdin." Edge admitted frankly. "But, if you really want to, I don't mind showing you around. I need to go shopping soon too so we can kill two birds with one stone."

"it's a date." Sans grinned.

"No, it's not." Edge returned flatly.

"well...not literally but—"

"If you look at the map," Edge interrupted, circling his desk and pressing his hands down as he leaned over it. Sans rolled his eyes and drew closer, following where the other's finger trailed with his gaze. "The red dots are where you need to go to fetch the reports."

Now that he inspected the map, Sans noticed the sentry stations weren't too far away from where he knew the ones back home to be. "cool. be back in a second—"

"Wait!" Edge exclaimed hastily, stopping him before he could teleport to them one by one. Sans raised an eyebrow at him. "You can't go dressed as you are."

"why not?" Sans asked.

"Because no one can know you're from a different universe." Edge said and took a seat. "It might seem stupid or pointless to hide, but it's not. If the others ever learn you're not from here and that you're not my Sans, you'll be considered fair game. If they don't try to kill you then they'll try doing worst things."

"i can hold my own." Sans claimed. He may be lazy and look harmless, but to assume he was weak would be a mistake.

"I don't doubt that you can, but you don't understand how we fight here." Edge explained, "There's nothing chivalrous or honourable about anyone's fighting method. Even if you could keep up, it's just easier to play pretend and avoid altercations all together."

"fair point." Sans conceded. "so what do we do?"

Edge reached beneath his desk and pulled out a black coat with a fur-lined hood and a red spiked collar. Sans refused to believe the other wanted him to put those on, but the taller skeleton's look spoke for itself.

"no."

"Yes." Edge demanded and set the items over the map. "It's what my brother wore."

"why would he wear this?" Sans grimaced, flicking the collar.

"To remind anyone who would do him harm that he's under _my_ protection." The taller skeleton affirmed. "Those who would hurt him would think twice about it considering my status as Ogruf."

"but wouldn't they just recognise me as your sans and automatically make that assumption?" Sans groaned helplessly. The coat, no matter how colourless and boring it was, he could do. The collar just seemed belittling and humiliating.

"If you were to be spotted without the collar," Edge stated, "Everyone would be under the impression that you are no longer mine and, consequently, free game. Now put on the collar. You can take it off once you've come back."

Sans stared at the thing nervously. He absolutely did not want to wear it. However, he also had no intentions of getting into a fight. Where the monsters of this world would likely be ready to battle to the death, Sans wasn't willing to kill anyone. With no other options at his disposal, Sans grumbled angrily to himself as he snatched the collar and placed it around his neck. He quickly removed his hoodie and pulled on the black coat, zipping it up all the way to cover the neckwear that embarrassed him. Edge sighed and shook his head, reaching over the desk to pull it down.

"It has to be visible." He said.

"i hate this place." Sans bellyached.

"It could always be worse." Edge reminded as he leaned back and regarded Sans with an amused grin. "You know, it suits you a lot."

"i'm not wearing this more than i have to." He stated bluntly. Edge laughed in response. "i'm glad you're enjoying yourself." Sans added sarcastically.

"Okay," Edge grinned, calming his laughter, "Before you go, it's important you don't chat with anyone. Ask for the report and leave as soon as you get it. Keep any talking to the bare minimum."

"aren't you the controlling person." Sans grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"My brother had a habit of pissing people off." Edge informed, folding his arms across his chest. "Unless you can piece together what they'll have accused you of doing without them helpfully enlightening you before or _as_ they yell at you, then be my guest. I bet it'll take them less than ten seconds to realise you're not really my Sans."

"point…taken." Sans conceded again. "i'm not sure i want to talk with them anyway."

"If you're dumb enough to risk it, I'm sure you'll find I'm like an angel in this place." Edge said flashing a plastic smile.

"un hun." Sans mumbled, giving an exasperated snort. He shoved his hands in the coat's pockets just as he was about to leave when he noticed there was something in the left one. "there's—"

"Don't take it out." Edge intervened. "Give it to Doggo when you get to his station. It'll keep him from getting needlessly rowdy."

"i guess he was your sans's favourite to tease." He assumed.

"You guess correctly." Edge confirmed. "Now go. At this rate, it would have been equally as fast if I went myself."

"sure it would have." Sans cynically agreed.

He went to the furthest station; the one near the Ruins. The area was strangely dark. When he looked up to the ceiling cavern, he saw no overhead lights that had been installed to mimic the surface light and the passing of time. He wondered why that was. He doubted no one in this universe had never had the idea. Surely they had the technology and power to accomplish such a simple feat. Regardless, Sans walked towards the crumbling sentry station. It was frankly small and the roof seemed to be collapsing in on itself.

"Does my nose deceive me?" Came a low growl from the darkness of the sentry post. "Sans the Skeleton. The prodigal monster _finally_ returns."

Sans gulped thickly and moved towards the post with forced determination. "i came for the report."

"Of course you did." Dogaressa snarled, lunging at him. It took everything in him not to jolt back defensively.

Dogaressa looked terrible, to put it mildly. Clumps of her fur were missing all over her head, and beneath her crazed eyes Sans noticed diseased and yellowed skin. Her breath smelled like death and dust and he was pretty sure that the things stuck in her canines were remnants of monsters' clothes – but it was too dark to know for sure. Not that he wanted to. She glared at him and said nothing for an extended moment.

"look, uh," Sans drawled, kicking his feet in the snow. "papyrus wants the report now so…"

"'Papyrus'?" The dog monster repeated with great amusement, "since when were you given the permission to call him anything other than 'boss'?"

Sans forced himself to remain composed while the alarm bells sounded in his head. He had made a wrong move, but he could still recover from it. "just give me the report." He demanded.

Dogaressa stared at him for a long unmoving minute, maintaining his gaze. Eventually she slunk back into the station like a snake to retrieve the report. "You're not very chatty today, Sans." She commented, handing him the paper he requested.

"thanks. see ya." Sans rapidly said before teleporting to the next post.

He took a deep breath once in a different location. Speaking with her had been intense, but at least he knew what to expect with the others. His hand wandered to the small bump in his pocket, remembering how Doggo was likely to be the worst of the worst.

 _one step at a time_ , he told himself.

Sans approached the next sentry station surrounded in blinding darkness. Had no one really thought to install lights elsewhere than the living areas in this Underground? He was far from close enough when a long limb shot out, encircling him as a snake would its prey. He teleported out of its grasp agitatedly, ready for a fight when he noticed the snake-like thing was lesser dog. The monster gave him an odd look, likely questioning his apprehensive reaction. Sans hardly paid it much attention as he quickly noticed the paper it was holding in its mouth. Lesser dog then inched closer and offered the paper as it initially must have been doing, but in a much less alarming fashion.

"thanks." He muttered quietly and lesser dog slowly retreated back to its post.

Two stations down, three to go.

The next sentry he teleported to was Doggo. He found the surprisingly buff monster angrily pacing around his shack, muttering madly beneath his breath. He stopped dead in his tracks when he caught a whiff of Sans at which point, he darted his piercing gaze at him. "Sans the fucking skeleton." He hissed and dangerously loomed closer. "Never thought I would see you again—"

Sans stopped him before he could proceed by throwing the item Edge had told him to keep for the monster in question. It effectively distracted the dog; he dashed and jumped to catch it in the air with his mouth. The skeleton almost wanted to clap. It had been pretty impressive. Doggo had gotten a lot of air. Nevertheless, it was only when the dog had it in his hands that Sans saw it was a bag filled with a powder whiter than snow. He grimaced as he pieced together what he had used to buy Doggo's obedience.

"About fucking time…" He growled, immediately shoving his snout in the bag and breathing in sharply.

"just…give me the report." Sans sighed, extending his hand. He didn't want to see him destroy himself like this. He also didn't want to think to how he had contributed to such a horrible addiction. No wonder Edge had told him not to take it out until he met with Doggo.

"Fuck you." Doggo barked and stalked off. "You can get it yourself, you lazy ass."

Sans watched him go and cautiously waited until he could no longer hear his steps crunching in the snow before moving in. He wasted no time scavenging through the small shed and retrieving the paper in question. It was covered in while powder that he quickly brushed off before moving on to the fourth sentry post.

This one was in a more open and social place. Sans found himself in a small gathering of monsters most of which were female and...pregnant? None of them seemed to take notice of him. And though he wondered why they were all there, he assumed it was best not to ask. He made his way towards the sentry, expecting the guard to make himself known before he was close enough to be able to see through the darkness as the others had, but this one didn't. The skeleton was only able to identify who he was about to deal with when he was standing in front of the sentry station and looking inside. Dogamy sat with his head thrown back in utter bliss as a monster suspiciously resembling a Temmie sucked him off.

"uhh…" Sans muttered, unsure if he should come back later.

"E-eh—oh! Sans!" Dogamy exclaimed when he cracked his eyes open. He shifted his position prompting the monster to stop what they were doing. "Whoa, did I say stop? Keep going." He snickered and pushed their head back on his dick. "Anyways, Sans, how have you been?"

"rough." Sans replied shortly. "i need the report."

"Right, here you go." Dogamy said, reaching off to the side and snatching the paper. Thankfully, there were no sticky substances on it. "Boss has got you on the ropes, hun?"

"you could say that." Sans mumbled. "thanks."

And he teleported away before the other could instigate a longer conversation. The last thing he wanted was to screw things up when there was only one sentry station left. Not to mention there was nothing more awkward than having a friendly conversation with someone receiving a blow job. On the bright side, at least he was almost done. He couldn't wait to go back home and not have to confront this demented version of Snowdin and the people he knew.

The smaller skeleton sauntered to the final station that was just on the outskirts of Snowdin. He crossed paths with a few monsters returning into town none of which paid him any attention. He found the sentry post empty but tidy. Everything seemed to be stored within the drawers and cupboards but, when he opened them, he found nothing. Was there no one in charge of this post?

Sans turned around wondering if Edge had made a mistake when he noticed a large looming figure just a few feet away. Its eyes were glowing in the darkness. After an extended moment of stillness, the other eventually took a few steps forward and when they had gotten close enough, Sans found he was confronting Greater Dog. Aside from the scar slashed diagonally across his face and the dark armour with the sigil of this universe, he looked the same.

"You're alive." He commented much to Sans's bewilderment.

"why wouldn't i be?" Sans replied.

Greater Dog stared at him silently before extending the report he had been clutching in his hand. It was scrunched up but still legible. Then he left. Sans watched him go in awe. It was his cue to finally go back home, but a thought nagged at him – a thought he couldn't find it in himself to ignore.

"why wouldn't i be?" He repeated and Greater Dog stopped by his sentry station.

What had happened to this world's Sans?

"I saw you." Greater Dog cryptically declared. "You're not as stealthy as you think you are."

"what are you talking about?" Sans demanded, his heart squeezed painfully.

Greater Dog turned to face him. "How were the Ruins?" He asked though more on the rhetorical side. He clearly wasn't interested in knowing the truth, but his intonation suggested Sans should be aware what he was referencing.

"f…fine." Sans hesitated.

Greater Dog smirked and entered his sentry. He seated himself in front of Sans and looked him over curiously, a look of amusement slowly spreading on his face. "You smell different." He added.

Sans held in a flinch. This Greater Dog wasn't as stupid as the one from his world. He was piecing things together like Edge said his sentries would if he gave them enough to work with. "i haven't showered in a while." Sans rapidly said and took a step back. "thanks for the report."

In the mere blink of an eye, Sans found himself back in Edge's office with the skeleton startled by his abrupt return. He seemed to want to run to him, if the little jerk he gave was anything to go by, but he stopped himself. Instead, he took a deep breath and crossed his arms over his chest, drumming his fingers almost anxiously against his humeri.

"How did it go?" He asked tensely.

"i got the reports." Sans stated, waving the papers around. "you could have told me that your brother called you 'boss'."

"It slipped my mind." Edge said, schooling himself with a light smack to his forehead. "Did they see through you?"

"no." Sans replied, surprisingly without a hint of hesitation. He couldn't be sure about Greater Dog and yet something told him he had nothing to worry about in those respects. "also: didn't appreciate playing the drug dealer."

"I figured you'd prefer not knowing." Edge admitted.

"you're right, but still." Sans conceded.

"Monsters can't die from drugs so it's fine." Edge brushed off and leaned back into his seat, slowly relaxing.

Sans opened his mouth to argue but closed it with a heavy sigh instead. He reminded himself he was in a different universe with different rules and customs. There was no point in arguing as it wouldn't amount to anything. He was in a different place and that was that.

"Anyways, you took a couple of minutes longer than I thought you would." Edge stated and took the reports from Sans. He organised them before setting them down on his desk and looking the other skeleton intently. "Were there any hold ups?"

Sans paused, thinking about the ominous things Greater Dog had muttered to him. The Sans of this universe periodically visited the Ruins and attempted to be sneaky. It was possible that he was just friends with this world's Toriel and preferred to keep it a secret, but something about what had been said made him think otherwise. Dogaressa, Doggo, and Dogamy had also hinted that his alter ego had been away for a while.

"no." Sans answered. "i mean, aside from dogamy. he tried striking up a friendly chat while someone blew him."

If he told the truth, Edge would dismiss him or might even lead him on the wrong path. It was best to keep the information to himself and try to piece things together on his own. As it was, the next clue was the Ruins. Maybe his alter ego had run off to live with Toriel. Maybe he would find him there.

"Okay."


	6. The Graves

**(Relevant for AO3) I'm actually surprised by the amount of responses I got last chapter in regards to the question I asked. I was only anticipating a grand max of 10 people but I ended up getting so many more. Now that I have your attention and before I lose it (and I think I will with this chapter lol) I want to give a little PSA:**

 **PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, COMMENT ON A STORY IF YOU LIKE IT.**

 **Now let me be clear; I'm NOT necessarily talking about my story (though it would be nice). Though I was discouraged before, I actually really want to write this story and I was going to modify my game plan to make sure I finished this one before the lack of comments got to me and made me stop. I mean, worst case scenario for this story was that I wouldn't write the sequel.**

 **I'm saying this because I've read so many stories that were abandoned because authors were discouraged by the lack of comments and just gave up. I make a point to comment on every chapter of every story that I read if I like it because I want to avoid that from ever happening.**

 **COMMENTS MOTIVATE AUTHORS. I'm not kidding when I say that the key to getting a chapter sooner is to comment your heart out on the story you like. If the author knows people are super excited and can't wait for the next chapter, you bet your ass that despite irl obligations, they're going to make time to update because they know it makes people happy.**

 **YOUR COMMENTS DON'T HAVE TO BE ESSAYS. You can literally write "cool story bro 10/10" and that's more than enough for an author to go "hey, I'm not telling my story to a wall, one person is listening to me and wants to hear more". A short comment expressing your excitement or enjoyment is literally all an author needs to keep writing their story.**

 **Again, I'm not bitching at all of you to comment on my story (even if it would be nice lol) I'm doing it for my underappreciated and discouraged bros. I read so many stories that are intriguing and incredibly written with little to no comments and it makes me sad to think the author might be thinking that this thing that I thoroughly enjoyed was a waste of their time.**

 **So if you haven't skipped my little rant yet: please just comment on a story you like especially if you see there are no comments yet. If you decide that you don't feel like commenting because it's too much of a hassle; it's your life. But you don't get to complain that all the good stories are discontinued.**

 **Fanfic authors of every fandom are providing entertainment for free. The least you can do in return is tell them that the time they're allocating to this hobby is appreciated.**

 **For my fanfic author bros who are reading this: I love you and keep at it!**

 **Now, ENJOY!**

* * *

Sans sat back with a sigh and threw his arms up as he stretched. His bones popped pleasantly and he groaned slinking back into his chair. His eyes wandered to the blueprints he had sprawled over his alter ego's desk in the hidden lab with sticky notes and separate notes marked in a neon green pen to differentiate them from the ones already there. He had spent hours upon hours trying to decipher the general instructions of how to deal with the MaWoIn machine only to come up with scraps. Unfortunately, it seemed to be the farthest he would get. He looked over the blueprints attentively one last time, comparing them with what he had already written down to confirm there was nothing more to figure out.

"stupid machine." Sans grumbled and smacked his face down in exasperation. Going home was going to take him much longer than he wanted. Papyrus was probably very worried about him.

He tilted his head slightly towards the skeleton of the machine with a pout. Why couldn't he have found it in the same condition his own had been in? Why was this one so busted? Why was it giving him such a hard time? Sans moaned to himself as he lamented the difficulty of the task confronting him. He had just finished making a list of the equipment he thought he would need to try rebuilding it, but there was no real way to know whether he would be missing anything or assembling it in the wrong way. It would be a chore undertaken through trial and error.

Just before he was about to start smacking his head against the desk, Edge swung the door open and pranced into the hidden lab with his arms akimbo. He stopped promptly in front of Sans who tilted his head up just barely enough to meet the other's gaze. He didn't think being assigned secretary work for the Royal Guard would do any good to change his dampening moral. Actually, it might make it worse. What if he was stuck being Edge's assistant forever just because he couldn't get the damn MaWoIn machine to work?

However, before he could continue lamenting, Edge threw a familiar black coat and spiked red collar onto his head. "Put this on. We're going out." The skeleton declared.

"why?" Sans grimaced, tugging the coat off and glaring at the collar.

"You said you wanted to see Snowdin and it's time I do the groceries." Edge reminded.

"oh yeah…" Sans mumbled. His mind wandered to the Ruins. The stores the edgy skeleton intended to visit were likely not in that region, but he wondered if he could convince him to bring him there one way or another. "oh!" He then exclaimed, remembering the list he had just made. He fished through the scattered notes and stickies to retrieve it and handed it to Edge. "i made a list of the stuff i'll need for the mawoin machine. maybe we could also get those on the way."

Edge glanced through the items and hummed. "We can't get any of those things here." He said and stuffed the list in his pocket. "Alphys can probably provide them, but I'm not crossing through Waterfall right now. I'll send her a message, but you'll be stuck waiting a while."

Sans frowned. "what's wrong with waterfall?"

Edge hesitated, visibly uncomfortable with answering the question. He seemed to deliberate whether to do so or not, ultimately deciding to convey the truth. "Waterfall is currently a Battle Royal zone." He explained.

"…what?" Sans grimaced. He didn't think he would like where this was going.

"I already mentioned our overpopulation issues," Edge reminded. "It's why murder was legalised. But there's only so much reduction that'll do. The population saw a 2% decrease upon legalisation."

"that's a lot of people." Sans noted, crossing him arms stiffly over his chest.

"But it wasn't enough." Edge explained, "So to lower the population significantly, to something the intellectuals deemed reasonable and proper given our tough situation, a Battle Royale was suggested and subsequently approved. The Graves are divided—"

"whoa, hold on." Sans interrupted, " _the graves_?"

Edge scowled at him. "Yes?" And when Sans still bore his confused expression, he elaborated: "The Graves—it's…Snowdin is a region _of_ The Graves. The Graves is like…The Ruins, Snowdin, Waterfall, Hotland, and New Home combined."

"you call this place _the graves_?" Sans repeated. "that's…depressing."

"We're all going to die here sooner or later." Edge shrugged. "What do you call it?"

"the underground." Sans replied.

"That's a simple name." Edge snorted.

"our king isn't particularly good at naming things." Sans conceded.

"Anyways," Edge resumed, "The Graves are divided into five sections; the ones I previous mentioned. Seeing as no lives in the Ruins, Battle Royales are only held in the four populated areas. They take place whenever necessary and rotate locations. Snowdin was subject to one maybe…four or five years ago, I can't remember. In a few years, the next one will be held in Hotland and after that New Home; you get the idea."

"so why would a battle royale prompt more murders?" Sans asked. He was sure he would regret doing so.

"Everyone, children of a certain age included, must kill ten individuals." Edge elaborated, "A specific amount of deaths are expected by the end of each Battle Royale and, if they don't meet the required number, a lottery takes place to select who out of the survivors will die."

"i knew i wouldn't like the answer." Sans groaned. "now i feel even more depressed."

"I figured you wouldn't either." Edge conceded, "But you asked."

"sorry i did." The smaller skeleton grumbled.

"Why were you already depressed?" Edge asked, much to Sans's surprise.

"well…" He brushed his notes off the blue prints and gestured towards them. "i can't read this and i wasn't able to decipher much. i don't know if i'll be able to get the mawoin machine up and running again with what i have."

Edge hummed to himself and nodded as he looked over the notes written in a foreign language. "Oh…yes." He said and nodded. Sans snapped his gaze towards the taller skeleton; was it possible he understood what it was saying? He was awed that he somehow could actually rea— "I have no clue what this says." Sans groaned and dropped his shoulders in defeat, deflated. "Also, your penmanship is terrible."

"way to kick a guy while he's down." Sans grumbled.

"Anyways, let's get going." Edge said, gesturing the smaller skeleton to get up. "I have other things to go."

Sans gave a deep sigh, mumbling: "fine" before pushing himself up and trudging behind the taller skeleton. He had almost gotten out of the hidden lab before he was reminded to put on the items that had been brought to him. With angry grouses, he threw his blue hoodie onto the desk and pulled on his alter ego's black coat and strapped the spiked collar around his neck. He dragged his feet through the snow and followed Edge with his head down, cursing the outfit he was stuck wearing in public. At least it was dark and no one would see him properly.

"hey _boss_." Sans said bitterly as Edge lead them towards Snowdin. The taller skeleton glanced over his shoulder to signal the other had gotten his attention. "why is it so dark here? don't you guys have a light system?"

"We used to." Edge answered, looking ahead. "The previous Royal Scientist fucked it up for us."

Sans perked up curiously and drew closer; partly to listen to the story, and also because the darkness was blinding and he would lose sight of Edge if het let him get too far away. "what happened?"

"This was very long ago," Edge stated before proceeding, "I was told he thought about freezing the barrier to then shatter it. It seemed promising and I guess King Asgore was just desperate to get out so he allowed his antics. The magic ricochet the cold and froze literally everything. It almost caused the extinction of monsterkind. The light fixtures we used to have are still up on the cavern ceiling, but they're covered in ice."

"why can't you use the thermo-energy from Hotland to generate electricity and get those things up and running again?" Sans asked and he wondered if he was the first to suggest the idea.

"When I said the magic froze everything, I mean _everything_." Edge emphasised. "We still call Hotland 'Hotland' but there's no magma anymore. It's not quite as frozen as Snowdin or Waterfall, but it's far from hot."

"the heck does waterfall look like, then?" Sans grimaced.

"Currently, like a bloodier and dustier version of Snowdin." Edge shrugged, "Usually, still like Snowdin but with frozen waterfalls and streams of freezing but drinkable water."

"geez." Sans winced. This place truly was riddled with problems. "so how do you guys generate electricity?"

"Alphys is still working on it." Edge explained, "She managed to drill into a small magma chamber and is converting the heat into energy for the Graves, but it's hardly enough so she's still experimenting. She has installed mills all around the streams of Waterfall and she has created machines prisoners are forced to use to generate more electricity. But these means aren't particularly efficient. We sometimes experience power outages for days on end because there's still not enough electricity to go around, but that's mostly a Snowdin issue. It's usually at the expense of New Home."

"i'm sure she'll solve the problem eventually." Sans said in a feeble attempt to sound encouraging.

"I'm not sure it'll matter in a decade or two." Edge shrugged. "We're all getting accustomed to the darkness. It isn't too difficult to see through it anymore." He then glanced at Sans with a smirk on his face, "Clearly unlike you. Don't think I didn't notice how you're practically clinging to me."

"this darkness is blinding." Sans defended.

"Here." Edge offered, grabbing one of the longer ends of his scarf and handing it to Sans. "I'm not going to hold your hand, but you can hold this."

Sans took the end and grinned, "heh, it's like you're my dog or something."

"Shut up." Edge shut down immediately.

They trailed through the darkness eventually arriving into the dimness of Snowdin. Few monsters loitered around outdoors. They all stopped whatever they had been doing to watch Edge pass by. It was difficult to decipher the look in their eyes. Some seemed fearfully respectful while others almost looked disdainful. Sans didn't let his gaze linger for too long. He turned it to the ground and continued to follow Edge, hoping they could make this outing short. As much as he was curious about this version of Snowdin, he didn't feel safe.

"We've got a lot of buildings cluttered together." Edge said lowly to avoid being overheard by others. Sans glanced around and observed just that. There were far more houses and stores than back home. "There's a library right there," he pointed out as they walked by. The building looked like a more wrecked and desolating version of the one Sans was familiar with. "No one really uses it and no librarians actually waste their time taking care of the books. Most of them have been destroyed by troublesome teens anyhow."

"can i have some?" Sans asked. He didn't have any particular necessity for any books of this universe, but he reckoned it would be an interesting read. And if he ever did manage to return home, it would be a nice memento to remember this terrible place by.

Edge looked surprised by the request. "Sure…" He agreed slowly. "We can plunder it on the way back."

The taller skeleton trailed on and pointed out more buildings to Sans. It seemed like he delighted in informing him about this place and the little stories he knew. Of the things he was shown, he saw a couple of diners and bars, brothels, drug dens, and weapons shops. He was rather surprised to see how practically no 'normal' stores for basic needs seemed to exist. However, they soon happened upon a brightly lit area by a large frozen river at the north most of Snowdin. It was fenced off with armed guards from the Royal Guard patrolling the area vigilantly. They all stopped to salute Edge as he passed by.

"This is the supply center." Edge explained. "There are two sections: allocated goods and the market." Sans nodded and found both sides neatly divided by a large empty space. The market side on the right held a lot of tables and tents with merchants displaying foods and spices while the other, the side of the allocated goods, had a few stalls which gave out decent sized boxes to those lined up. "The Crown distributes things like sugar, salt, and prepacked meals to citizens. They get one box of rations every two months. It forces them to use it wisely and not waste anything."

"what's the point of the market?" Sans asked.

"It's where you go to get unnecessary goods." Edge elaborated. "Meals provided by the Crown are bland and generally flavourless. If you want it to taste like anything, you buy spices at the market. If you want juices or alcohol, you go to the market. If you want sweets—"

"—you go to the market. i get it." Sans interrupted. "do you get special privileges as an ogruf?"

"Of course." Edge scoffed, strolling towards the allocated goods section. "I even get a trolley to bring it home."

"doesn't that piss people off?" Sans asked.

"Sure. But what are they going to do about it?" Edge snickered.

"that doesn't seem particularly fair." Sans reproached.

"Hard work is rewarded by special privileges like this." Edge pointed out. "I earned what I get. The others know if they accomplish an impressive feat, they can also be rewarded in the same way."

Edge strutted past the long line that was already formed at the booth for citizens with last names ranging from q to s. They all glared at as they cut in front of everyone without a care. Still, no one said a word. The people distributing the boxes immediately recognised Edge and fetched his box and trolley. It was far larger than any of the ones previously given away. Surprisingly, no one seemed particularly jealous or envious. They all seemed more annoyed by how they had simply bypassed them.

The taller skeleton then lead them away, briefly saluting the men and women of the Royal Guard as he left. They subsequently trailed to the market which bore a much more festive and homey vibe. It almost felt like home what with the chatting and occasional laughter rising above the brouhaha. The stalls were filled with a plethora of goods that smelled and looked good. Sans's stomach growled at the sight of them and Edge snickered, amused.

"Hungry?" He teased. Sans was too baffled by his playfulness to respond. "I'll make you something when we get home."

"dude…you're like the perfect spouse." Sans muttered in awe.

"What? Does your brother not cook for you?" He asked.

"he does and he means well, but it's inedible." Sans confessed. He felt bad to say so but it was the truth.

"Is that why your hp is so low?" Edge joked.

"honestly, it's one of my many theories." Sans chuckled. "what's up with you? you're oddly in a good mood even after i grilled you over your 'privileges'."

"I learned not to take your reproaches personally." Edge shrugged. "You don't fundamentally understand my world and you probably never will. It's not necessarily your fault, but it's not something that's going to change so there's no point in letting it bother me."

"how…mature." Sans noted.

"Anyways, we're here to pick up spices and booze." Edge informed, glancing around as though looking for someone or maybe a particular vendor.

"are we going to get smashed?" Sans asked.

"As Ogruf and first lieutenant of the Royal Guard, I can't afford to be inebriated with the responsibilities resting upon my shoulders." Edge responded strictly with his nose pointed in the air in a posh manner.

"geez, so stingy." Sans sighed, "but it doesn't mean i can't get drunk!"

"True." Edge conceded, "Just don't overdo it."

"no promises." Sans grinned.

Edge smirked and shook his head, moving down a larger path as he dragged his trolley. "And you think I'm the one who's oddly content." He breathed.

"your good mood is contagious." Sans declared, shoving his hands in his pockets as he dawdled behind. They walked for a few silent minutes before he added: "we should buy some ketchup if you don't already have any."

"Some what?" Edge asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"ketchup." Sans repeated.

"Did you just make up that word?" Edge asked, unsure whether he should be amused or not.

And while he deliberated on how he should feel, Sans's heart dropped out of existence. A pit of horror was building in his stomach area. "no way." He mumbled, unwilling to believe such a horrible possibility. "you guys _have_ to have ketchup."

"I have no idea what that is." Edge stated bluntly.

"no!" Sans whined, throwing his head up in despair, "can this place get any worse!? please tell me you're just joking!"

"I'd say sorry, but I'm not really." Edge said.

Sans wanted to die. Logically, it shouldn't be so shocking that he wounded up in an alternate universe where ketchup didn't exist as there were an infinite number of worlds, but he didn't think this place would be it. There were already so many similarities between their universes, why was ketchup the one thing that seemed to be absent? How was he supposed to survive an undisclosed amount of time in some foreign universe without the nectar of life?

"maybe this is why _the graves_ suck so much." Sans lamented. "you guys have never experienced ketchup."

"What is it?" Edge asked. "You keep prattling about it, but you haven't explained it."

"it's god's gift to monsters is what it is." Sans moaned sadly. He supposed he could just eat as much as he wanted once he got back home, but that hardly did anything to comfort him as it wasn't a guaranteed turn of events.

"I don't believe in God." Edge replied.

"then it's atheism's gift to monsters." Sans remedied. "point is, it's my reason for living."

"Now you're just being dramatic." Edge chuckled.

Sans smiled only a little. He would be a liar if he said he wasn't pleased with how his antics charmed Edge. The taller skeleton was much more fun to be around when he wasn't being grim and serious. As such, Sans continued being dramatic while the other purchased the spices and alcohol he required. However, he must have been just annoying at some point as Edge eventually suggested they buy the ingredients the smaller skeleton would need to make his own ketchup. Or perhaps he had reacted in good humour. Whatever the reason, to say Sans was glad was an understatement. They were just about done their grocery shopping, acquiring tomato paste, when their banting was promptly interrupted.

"Sans the skeleton..." A sultry male voice chuckled from behind as his hands wandered to Sans's ass. He flinched and tried to move away only to be caught by his middle and fondled further.

"h-hey stop—" He demanded, glancing at the stranger. He froze when he saw who seemed to be—

"Hands off my fucking _property_ , Grillby!" Edge snapped and aggressively grabbed him by the coat to yank him off Sans.

Grillby's alter ego was a purple flame monster with glowing white eyes and a lecherous smile. He was just as tall as Edge if not slightly taller. He wore a long black trench coat which hung open revealing the white dress shirt that wasn't buttoned up all the way to expose his chest, and a pair of snazzy dress pants. To be brief and blunt: he looked like a douche. "Geez, Sans. You got really downgraded. From slave to property." He chuckled, "What the hell was the point of coming back?"

Sans frowned but said nothing. It was best he didn't and let Edge handle the situation.

"Shut the fuck up." Edge hissed and shoved him away. "Now get out of here."

"Hey, calm down asshat." Grillby snarled. "Can't a guy chat with his pal?"

Sans struggled to believe his alter ego was actually friends with this creep. He still felt weird about having been abruptly fondled minutes ago.

"You don't have friends." Edge stated.

"You know what? I'm not even talking to you." Grillby dismissed as though he were speaking to a petulant child and turned to Sans. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Grillby, fuck off." Edge ordered.

"Spend a relaxing and less cold vacation in New Home or something?" The flame monster continued, ignoring Edge much to the latter's fury.

" _Grillby_." Edge repeated.

"uhh…" Sans mumbled uncertainly. Should he say anything?

"Why don't _you_ fuck off, Papyrus?" Grillby snapped. "I'm not going to fuck your brother so take a knee and let the adults talk, capiche?"

"Do you forget who you're talking to, asshole?" Edge growled.

"No, I'm talking to some _dickhead_ who doesn't understand I'm trying to talk with someone else." Grillby barked in return.

"I could fucking kill you right now—"

"Oh shut the fuck up." Grillby interrupted in exasperation. "We both know that's total bullshit, so keep your pretty little mouth shut and, if you're a good boy, daddy'll give you a nice reward."

It didn't take a genius to see Grillby was just saying things to set Edge off…and that it was working remarkably well. "s…" Sans hesitated. He probably should have continued to keep his mouth shut, but an intervention now felt necessary. "stop antagonising him."

And though he didn't really think the other would listen, he surprisingly backed off. "Only if you give me a kiss." He smirked, his smile growing as he felt the anger radiating from the taller skeleton.

"I swear to God…" Edge grumbled lowly, red magic flaring around his hands.

"no." Sans frowned.

"Then come see me at my bar some time." Grillby requested and, in that moment, he seemed genuinely concerned. It took Sans by surprise. "I want to talk about where you went."

"…f…" Sans stopped, glancing quickly at Edge for instructions or cues but he was too angry to give any. "…fine." He agreed, hoping the other would leave before the situation escalated any further.

"Great!" Grillby cheered and he swooped down for a quick kiss before Sans could do anything to stop him.

"You son of a—" Edge shouted and launched bones at him.

Grillby evaded most and blocked the last few with a hastily conjured shield. Those that weren't destroyed by the shield smashed right into the table of nearby vendors. They shouted in anger but did nothing more. Despite their discontent, they seemed intimidated by both monsters. Edge went in for another attack, shooting bones out from the ground beneath Grillby, but he jumped out of the way as though easily predicting the move. Edge would have tried another time if Sans hadn't finally decided to intervene, grabbing him by the arm and stopping his next magic attack.

The flame monster laughed as he strolled away with a carefree attitude. "See you later, sweetheart."

Sans held onto Edge to stop him from chasing after the other. "he's not worth it." He whispered anxiously as a crowd of monsters started to gather.

"I should have fucking slaughtered him…" Edge grumbled angrily.

"let's just go home, okay?" Sans pleaded.

Edge continued to glare in the direction Grillby had left for a moment, shaking with rage. He slowly calmed down and stood upright. "Fine." He agreed. "But I don't want you going to his fucking trash hole."

"i didn't intend to." Sans said, "i was just trying to get him to leave."

Edge said nothing more. He yanked his trolley behind him and lead the way out of the supply center and back through Snowdin. They walked in tense silence and didn't stop at the library like the taller skeleton had said they would on the way back; though Sans didn't bring it up as understood how delicate the other's humour now was. He still felt regretful as he walked past the building, but shook it off. He would have a chance to go back to it later.

Sans made quick work of the groceries, using his magic to levitate the load indoors. He swiftly took off the boring coat and horrid collar as soon as he was inside and the front door was shut. All he wanted was to relax in clothes that made him feel comfortable. Edge looked at him quizzically as he stripped himself of the items, "Why are you—" but he stopped himself before finishing his question. He seemed a bit sad and embarrassed all of a sudden. "Right. Sorry."

"did…did you take me for your brother again?" Sans asked.

"Yeah." Edge sighed and rubbed his hand over his face.

"is that why you got so heated with grillby?" He questioned.

"…Yeah." The taller skeleton conceded. "But I'm still upset with how he just manhandled you."

"it's fine…well, it's not, but i'll live." Sans huffed.

"I shouldn't have let him do that to you." Edge growled. "I should have done something."

"what could you have done?" Sans asked, "i didn't even expect it."

"I could have placed myself in front of you." Edge argued, and he was quickly getting worked up again, "Acted like a wall or something…I could have made him leave, I could have killed him—"

Sans frowned in confusion for a moment until he realised the taller skeleton was speak of the kiss despite how he had been referencing how the whole squabble had started. "as crappy as what he did was, i don't want him dead over it." Sans stated, "it wasn't worth killing someone over."

"It was to me." Edge said. Sans wasn't sure what that meant. "Fuck…I'm going to go cool down."

Sans watched him quietly climb up the stairs and walk into his room. He didn't slam the door shut but he might as well have. The smaller skeleton made a b line for the sofa and fell on it in exasperation. It sucked that their pleasant outing had been ruined so quickly. What's more, Sans had forgotten to ask about the Ruins. He smacked himself on the head, but not too hard. Knowing what became of his alter ego wasn't detrimental to fixing the MaWoIn machine. Still, he was curious and if he could find him, he would surely be of a lot of help. This world was so tiring. Sans felt his eyes begin to droop shut and he decided not to resist the sleep lulling him away.


	7. Royal Missive

**Hello guys! It's been sort of a while (like a week or two) since the last update!**

 **This chapter is actually much longer than I thought it was going to be haha. Regardless, I wasn't originally going to put this one out so soon but things happened and I was able to complete it now.**

 **On that note, THERE WON'T BE AN UPDATE FOR PROBABLY A MONTH. I'm not giving up on this story, Uni is just absolutely hectic right now and it's turning me into a stressed ball of anxiety. I have to write 3 papers (6 pages, 10 pages, 12 pages) due at about the same time for all of them and they all require so much reading. Especially the 12 pages one. After that, I jump right into exams. So obviously, I've got to set my priorities.**

 **When I come back, expect more rapid updates mostly because I'll be free haha.**

 **Now, ENJOY!**

* * *

With nothing to do but wait for the MaWoIn machine's parts to come in once the Battle Royale was finally over, the smaller skeleton found himself nothing with which to keep busy. It was a strange sensation. Back home, he was more than accustomed to doing absolutely nothing, much to the frustration of his brother, but here, the situation was different. He felt like he didn't have time to be lazy. He needed to go home and it needed to happen now. He wasn't sure from where the sense of urgency came from, but it must have been tied into his fear of permanently being stranded in this hellish nightmare. However, there was nothing to do for the moment.

As Edge had pointed out, teleporting was out of the question because Alphys would see right through his charades. If it were revealed he were from a different universe, she would trap him and experiment on him. No mercy would be shown and Sans would either be tortured for all eternity or killed. There was no sneaking past her either. Bringing Edge along would also only result in failure as Alphys had a detailed knowledge of his habits. He never ventured through Waterfall during a Battle Royale even if he was summoned by King Asgore. Undyne had a habit of making her Battle Royales an absolute hell what with her insatiable lust for blood and violence. Regardless, the stray in rigid behaviour would immediately alert her to something being particularly unusual.

And so, for the first time since Sans got to this universe, he was forced to relax. He tried to mimic his usual manners, but everything he did felt stiff and awkward. When he lied on the sofa and tried to fall asleep, he found himself wide awake and felt uncomfortable. Edge had passed at some point and stated that he looked as rigid as a plank of wood. The comment had been enough to get him to try something else. He had thus sat up and tried watching TV, but he quickly found that he was too distracted to pay it any attention. His mind simply wandered to the MaWoIn machine and his anxieties concerning whether he could truly find a way to return home.

Thus, on day two, Sans decided relaxing wasn't going to cut it because it was probably never going to happen. The only option was to consequently channel the energy he would have been spending on the MaWoIn machine onto something else. It took him only a few short moments to decide what he was going to do upon seeing Edge exit the kitchen. He would create ketchup for the first time in this horrible alternate universe. Maybe he could even convince Edge to enter the achievement in the official history of this universe. But with the way the monsters of this world treated books, he doubted any written document of their history existed. It would have been quite a legacy to leave.

Nevertheless, Sans hopped off the couch and strutted into the kitchen. He didn't need to make the history books, just some ketchup to tie over his needs until he found a way home. He began by gathering the items he would need and set them on the kitchen table. This time, collecting condiments and equipment was much easier because he had watched Edge sort everything a few days ago when they had gone grocery shopping. Sans shuddered when he thought about Grillby. But as it passed, his mind wandered to his missing alter ego. Could Grillby provide him with a clue as to where he had gone? He supposed it was worth investigating if the wait for the MaWoIn machine's parts dragged on.

"okay…" Sans sighed and looked over the items he had gathered. "tomato paste, sugar, vinegar, onion and garlic powder, celery salt, mustard powder – smells gross – and ground black pepper. i think that's everything." He then glanced at the various metal bowls he had pulled out and placed his arms akimbo. "now where to start…"

As obsessed as he was with ketchup, Sans had only ever looked up its ingredients and he had only done so once. Fortunately, his photographic memory helped him remember the components, but it contained no indication on how to merge all of them to then produce ketchup. He stared at them for a moment before ultimately deciding to wing it. As a science man, he reckoned he could use what he understood about different substances to hopefully create something edible.

"oh boy." Sans mumbled to himself and jumped in hoping for the best.

Hesitantly, he began mixing the ingredients together. Initially, he felt as though he was going about the whole process entirely wrong. The substance he was concocting was far too liquid and contained nasty clumps while the colour was far closer to brown than anything else. The only thing that was remotely similar to ketchup was the smell, but even that was debatable. By the end of his mixing fiasco, Sans knew for a fact he hadn't gone about the recipe in the right way. He dipped a finger in the mix and brought it to his mouth, recoiling and choking on the terribly intense flavours of vinegar and mustard. And yet, he soon started laughing. There wasn't much else to do but take his failure in good stride.

"Why are you laughing?" Edge asked as he unexpectedly appeared at the kitchen's entrance. His eyes fell upon the mess on the kitchen table and then widened in horror. "What the fuck did you do?"

"a mistake." Sans laughed. "i tried to make ketchup but it didn't work out."

Edge wandered cautiously towards the main mixing bowl as though its contents would spring out and attack him. His face scrunched in disgust and he covered both his mouth and nose as he groaned his discontent. "This smells absolutely horrible."

"it's not that bad." Sans chuckled and skipped over. He dipped his finger back into the bowl and raised it to Edge's face. "try some! i think you'll love it."

"Get that nasty stuff away from my face." Edge barked and pushed the hand away. Sans laughed hard and bent slightly as he hugged his stomach. It was starting to cramp up on him. "Geez, is that what you were so upset about not existing here?"

"no, no!" Sans laughed and wiped a tear of laughter away only to accidentally smear some of the mistake ketchup in his socket. "agh! my eye!" He screeched between bouts of guffaw.

"Oh my god. Come here." Edge rolled his eyes and escorted him to the sink. "You're such a mess."

Sans continued to laugh as he was cleaned. "thanks mom—"

"Hey!" Edge intervened and quickly snatched his hand before he could put it back over his socket. It was still covered in mistake ketchup, but was quickly cleaned. "Be careful! You almost repeated the same blunder."

"again, thanks mom." Sans grinned.

"We're going to need to clean this mess you made." Edge huffed.

"i hear you." Sans agreed and strolled back to the table. "i guess i'll have to make do without ketchup during my stay."

Edge watched him as he gathered the dirty bowls and brought them over to the sink. Sans was under the impression he only intended to watch him clean when the taller skeleton suddenly reached for the small container of mustard powder and examined it. "So what exactly is ketchup supposed to look like?" he asked.

"bright red, smooth but thick." Sans supplied.

"And were these all the proper ingredients?" Edge added musingly.

"yep." Sans affirmed.

"Clean the dishes and bring them back here." Edge ordered. "I'll need the biggest bowl first."

Sans smirked and shook his head. Edge may have been a cooking wizard, but there was no way he could successfully make ketchup by only going off the ingredients placed in front of him and Sans's brief description. And yet, he was certainly going to try as was indicated by his sorting of ingredients. There wasn't any obvious logic to how he grouped them. The mustard powder was placed next to the vinegar and tomato paste. The onion powder was paired with the black pepper powder. The sugar was isolated to the other side of the table and the remaining garlic powder and celery salt were stacked over one another. Honestly, it looked like something his own Papyrus would have done before creating a sort of gloopy monstrosity. But that wasn't what happened.

The smaller skeleton watched him work with a sort of awe. Edge mixed, sifted, and boiled the ingredients together with such ease and grace that it rooted Sans in place, mesmerised. It was better than any TV he had tried watching the day before. The smells the other elicited as he improvised in a way he could never dream of doing were heavenly in their own right. The odors were similar to how he remembered them, but were also subtly different. There was a finer quality that evoked eloquence among other things. To have witnessed Edge cook was an experience – one he would never admit to lest he inflated the taller skeleton's ego any further.

By the end of it, Edge presented Sans with a bowl of beautiful but steaming hot ketchup. "Is this what you were trying to make?" He asked.

"no, i was only aiming for something half as good." Sans declared sheepishly. Edge grinned smugly. "a-any way, we have to put this in the refrigerator. It's not meant to be this hot."

"Not on my watch." Edge hissed, raising the bowl out of the other's reach. "We're going to let it cool down naturally before, otherwise it'll stun the flavour."

"it'll be fine." Sans shrugged. "probably."

"That's the same kind of thinking that brought the world that horrendous shit you first made." Edge called out.

Sans chuckled at the memory and forced himself to not get carried away by his own laughter. "yeah, okay. point taken." He sighed. "it smells really good."

"Of course it does." Edge snobbishly agreed.

"we should have hot dogs tonight or something." Sans suggested, "this would go great with it."

Edge grimaced. "I don't think so." He refused, "This seems to be more of a desert topping. It's far too sweet to put on meat and bread."

"what are you talking about? it's not even _that_ sweet so it's perfect for hot dogs!" Sans objected. "how else would you eat them!?"

"With mustard." Edge replied.

"mustard is the product of evil." Sans declared.

"You really are my brother's opposite." Edge snickered and rolled his eyes. "He drinks mustard when he's bored. I don't even know if he actually likes it or if he just does it to spite me."

"that's disgusting." Sans groaned with a grimace. "i bet he only does it because he's never had ketchup."

"He doesn't like sugary stuff." The taller skeleton informed.

"we all make mistakes." Sans shrugged, "also, like i said, it's really not that sweet."

"Whatever, we'll see when it cools down to your tastes." Edge said, changing the topic. "Anyways, before you got me cooking your guilty pleasure, I came to fetch you for work."

"what are we doing today?" Sans asked, shoving his hands in his pockets, following Edge out of the kitchen and into his study.

"Same as usual." The taller skeleton informed as he circled his desk to sit down, the surface of which was covered in obnoxiously high stacks of paperwork and letters. "This all came in today." Edge added, sticking his head out from behind one of the towers.

"holy crap." Sans sighed. "how did you get through this on your own before me?"

"Sleepless nights, mostly." Edge admitted, "Now I get to sleep two more hours than usual."

"how many hours do you sleep now?" Sans asked.

"…Two." Edge replied after a pause.

"wow." Sans muttered, unimpressed. "how do you function?"

"Just get to work." Edge brushed off.

Sans smirked and rolled his eyes. He used his blue magic to lift a tower of paper from the desk and set it onto the ground, next to where he intended to sit. Slowly but surely, he skimmed through the documents and sorted them in the way he was expected to. There was silence for a long moment as they worked, but Sans soon found himself to be in a chatty mood. However, he wasn't quite sure how to start a conversation. He considered his options for a moment when his mind drifted to his missing alter ego. There was so much mystery shrouded over a person he had expected to meet by now. He supposed he could try digging up more information, but if he did, he ran the risk of angering Edge. Still, nothing lost, nothing gained.

"so…" He started.

"Yes?" Edge replied with disinterest as he focused on his work.

"what's up with grillby?" Sans asked. He supposed he could eventually circle around to the topic of Edge's Sans instead of starting bluntly. "seemed like there was some pre-existing beef between the two of you."

"That's because there is." Edge confirmed.

"well?" Sans pushed and perked his head up to catch a glance of the other skeleton. "why?"

"Grillby's trash." Edge spat, "He's a gang leader that constantly undermines the law and King Asgore. The problem is he's really good at it and hasn't yet made a false move. Probably never will."

"can't you just solve the problem with your loose and questionable laws?" Sans asked. "i mean, you did say homicide was legal if there was a reason behind it."

"Grillby has connections all over." Edge explained, "We don't know how deep they run, but he seems to have eyes and ears everywhere. We've already tried putting him in situations that would prompt a reason for an attack, but he talked his way out of everything. There's nothing we can do anymore. The Ogruf before me was even sent on a suicide mission to kill Grillby without provocation and suffer the legal consequences – execution."

"and?" Sans asked.

"Well, Grillby's still here, isn't he?" Edge said bitterly. "The guy slaughtered the previous Ogruf and threw his innards on people walking by for the fun of it."

"oh my god…" Sans muttered beneath his breath and shuddered. He was all the more disturbed with how he had been previously fondled by such an insane monster.

"Why are you asking about him?" Edge enquired.

"i don't know, i wanted to make conversation." Sans admitted, "i didn't think things would take such a grim turn."

"This place is fucked up." Edge conceded.

"were…were he and your brother friends?" Sans hesitated. He felt the air around them get tense. "i'm just asking because he almost seemed concerned—"

"Grillby doesn't have friends." Edge interrupted dryly. "But…" Then there was a pause. "Sans routinely visited to his trash hole."

"why?" Sans probed.

"To get drunk, mostly." Edge admitted almost quietly. "Sometimes to have sex, I'm sure."

"with him?" Sans grimaced.

"No, well…maybe." Edge answered. "Mostly the hookers, though."

"doesn't he own a restaurant?" Sans asked.

"He owns a strip club." Edge informed, "But, for some inexplicable reason, there's a kid-friendly section where they can eat their food without breasts or penises being shoved in their faces. Don't ask me what the point of it is. He doesn't even allow kids entry."

"that sounds suspicious." Sans pointed out.

"He doesn't use the area as far as I'm concerned." Edge said, "But I thought the same thing too. My theory is that having it around allows kids to try their luck to enter his trash hole and thus gives him permission to either kill or humiliate them. Anyways, I don't want to keep talking about that ass hole. Focus on your work."

"fine. don't chat with me." Sans jokingly retorted.

"Maybe if you picked a more interesting topic, I'd be more inclined to humour you." Edge stated.

"okay." Sans nodded and considered a different type of questioning, "oh! have _you_ ever been to a strip club?"

"I'm not talking with you anymore." Edge declared.

"oh come on! i wasn't even talking about grillby specifically!" Sans laughed.

But when Edge refused to respond, he was stuck focusing on his work again. Despite the silence, he knew he hadn't angered the other too badly. Regardless, he burned through the bulk of the pile fairly quickly once he decided to stop distracting himself with conversations. Most of the things he had skimmed through were statistical reports on the Snowdin population with an important emphasis on the total of monsters. He didn't give any special attention to much of anything he skimmed through until he happened upon a black and gold envelop that caught his eye.

"edge." Sans said, but he wasn't given a response. "edge." He repeated. "i'm not going to ask you dumb questions."

"What is it?" Edge asked, peaking over his desk.

Sans extended the letter to him and Edge took it almost eagerly. The smaller skeleton stood up as the other tore through the envelop and hastily read the message that had been jotted onto a yellowed sheet. A smile slowly spread on Edge's face as he reached the end.

"what does it say?" Sans queried.

"I've been cordially invited to the royal palace for a celebration." Edge replied. "The Waterfall Battle Royale has come to a close."

"does that mean alphys is going to send me my stuff?" Sans asked.

"Most likely within a week." Edge estimated. "She too has undoubtedly been invited and so her primary concerns will be with making a good impression on Undyne."

"oh, they're not dating yet in this universe." Sans said mostly to himself.

"Yet?" Edge repeated with barking laughter that took Sans off guard. "More like never."

"what why?" Sans pouted.

"Alphys is a crazy bitch!" Edge exclaimed. "It's really unsettling how much she obsesses over Undyne. I don't know how it doesn't bother her, but I guess it's because she's just as insane."

"in my universe they're in a loving relationship." Sans said.

"I struggle to imagine that." Edge chuckled. "Alphys is way too nuts. And yet, Undyne doesn't help herself out either. If she stopped fucking Alphys whenever she got horny, maybe that wacko would move on."

"this is literally breaking my heart." Sans declared.

"Regardless," Edge fortunately changed the subject, "It's mandatory that I attend so I have to go. You have the option to tag along or not."

"whoa, really?" Sans blinked in surprise.

"Yes." Edge confirmed. "It's no secret that you're supposedly back because I sent you out a handful of times and word travels fast. People will be half expecting to see you."

"um…i don't know." Sans hesitated, "didn't you say alphys would immediately see through me? she's going to be there…"

"And distracted by Undyne." Edge pointed out. "Besides, I'll be with you at all times and whoever comes to speak to us will likely have most of their attention trained on me."

"well, if you insist…" Sans trailed off with a cheeky grin.

"Shut up. I'm not." Edge refuted.

"it sure sounds like it." Sans insisted.

"I'm going to de-invite you." Edge warned.

"too late. i'm tagging along." Sans grinned.


	8. New Home

**It's easy to think I'm back, but I'm not. I've still got 3 exams left, one of which I have to give in tomorrow. That said, I decided to write this chapter anyways because I've been wanting to write something for it for a while now.**

 **This is probably going to be my last Undertale story too and a part of me just wants to get it over with and really pour my soul into it. However, I've still got 3 exams left as of posting this story.**

 **Anyways, ENJOY!**

* * *

Sans had gathered the items Edge had listed and stuffed them in their luggage bags while the latter ran around Snowdin giving instructions to the sentries that would be operating in his absence. Much to his surprise, Greater Dog was expected to coordinate them in the taller skeleton's place. He supposed the monster was starkly different from the one he knew back home in that he did seem much smarter. Still, it was somewhat off putting. Nevertheless, Sans did as he was told. It gave him the opportunity to explore parts of the house that he had never thought to explore as it would have consisted as a breach of intimacy considering it entailed sifting through dressers and closets. Back home, Mettaton had once said you could tell a lot about someone by looking through their wardrobe. Perhaps it was true, but Sans had no idea what to deduce about Edge's personality concerning such enormous quantities of leather and black clothes neatly tucked away in his room.

He shrugged the thoughts off and simply focused on his task. Once the bags were full, he lugged them down stairs and set them by the door. With nothing left to do, he took a seat on the sofa and waited for Edge to return. It only dawned on him only much later that he could have opened the TV to help pass time rather than stare at the ceiling. But seconds after his epiphany, the skeleton in question returned. He strutted into the house carrying a paper bag Sans didn't expect to see as he hadn't left with it. Had he gone shopping while he was out?

"Still in your usual clothes?" Edge remarked, rolling his eyes. "You do know you're going to have to wear my brother's things exclusively during our stay at the palace, right?"

"are we _at_ the palace?" Sans returned with a bit of sass.

"No…" Edge replied.

"then this is currently fine." Sans said, falling back onto the sofa and stretching his limbs. "i don't want to wear your brother's gimpy get up more than i have to."

"It's not gimpy!" Edge scoffed.

"it totally is." Sans maintained, "like…a discount gimp. a gimp that can't afford the whole costume yet."

Edge snickered and shook his head. "Anyways," he disregarded and fished through the paper bag. "I got you this." He threw it at Sans and it hit him in the face before he could see what it was.

"oh no! the _whole_ gimp costume!" He cried out dramatically.

"You're such an idiot." Edge rolled his eyes, a pleasant laughing rolling behind his spoken words.

Sans chuckled and pulled the fabric from his face. He was surprised to see a coat. It looked a lot like the one that belonged to his alter ego, but it was significantly different. The fur lined on the hood was white rather than caramel and the details on the black coat were blue instead of red. It still wasn't the type of thing he would usually wear, but he still liked it a lot.

"what's this for?" Sans asked, sitting up.

Edge bashfully looked away and Sans wasn't quite sure whether a small blush truly dusted his cheekbones or not. It was probably a trick of the light, he later reckoned. There was no way a monster like Edge was capable of blushing self-consciously. "I…it would be overall easier for me if you wore that instead of my brother's coat." Edge stammered, "You look so much like him and I don't want to confuse myself into thinking you're actually him. Besides, red doesn't suit you very well."

"oh…okay." Sans nodded and stared at the coat. A smile slowly spread on his face the longer he stared at it. "thanks."

"You still have to wear his collar, though." Edge pointed out.

"aaaaand you ruined it." Sans groaned and fell back down, covering his face with his new coat.

"Did you pack the bags like I told you to?" Edge asked, paying no attention to the comment. Before Sans could answer, he must have caught sight of them as he then exclaimed: "Why the hell are they so full!? They're practically bursting!"

"you told me to pack a lot of stuff." Sans defended, remaining beneath his coat.

"No I didn't—" Edge argued and unzipped one of the bags, "You stuffed them! You were supposed to _fold_ the clothes!"

"pap did always say i was never capable of folding properly." Sans reminisced. Now that he thought about him, he missed his brother a lot.

" _Properly_?" Edge snorted, "Try: _at all_."

"feel free to re-fold them on your own." Sans declared as he rolled onto his side. He was starting to get drowsy what with being shrouded in a warm, comforting darkness. "i'm going to take a nap."

"You lazy bones!" Edge schooled. Sans heard him pick up the bags and walk to the sofa. His legs were then lifted to make space for the other skeleton to sit. "I'm definitely blaming you if we're late."

"don't worry about it, i can just teleport us there." Sans shrugged off and closed his eyes.

Edge mumbled something beneath his breath that he couldn't decipher; not that he cared to. He was allowed to sleep for about thirty minutes before he was shaken awake. He glanced at the bags finding them much less strained than when he had packed them and so flashed a cheeky grin to the other. Edge just rolled his eyes, but Sans could tell he wasn't particularly annoyed. They had come a long way. Sans would never have imagined such light behaviour from him when they first met. He was subsequently beckoned off the couch and forced into his alter ego's questionable neck wear before ordered to teleport.

Sans brought them to the edge of New Home, in an area that was mostly isolated so as to draw no attention to their abrupt and unusual arrival. The environment was a strange mix of dense forestry and precariously positioned cavern walls and stalagmites. Edge lead the way through cautiously and stopped by a dense tree past which was an open area. Sans could see a long line of monsters patiently waiting to reach a thick metal gate which was heavily armed. It was a strange sight to behold.

"is that…a border check?" Sans grimaced. It resembled a prison facility more than anything.

"Yes." Edge confirmed, turning away to face him. "New Home is severely overcrowded so monsters need permits to enter. It's a complicated procedure that doesn't really concern us as I'm an Ogruf and we're only staying for three days. That said, we do need to announce our presence."

"why did you stop us?" Sans asked.

"I just wanted to give you a couple of pointers." Edge said, "On the off chance someone speaks with you while I'm away or busy, you should know how to respond to them."

"fair enough." Sans nodded, "one might wonder why i wasn't informed sooner."

"It wasn't particularly important back in Snowdin." Edge brushed off nonchalantly. Sans disagreed entirely but said nothing of it. "My brother has an honest way of speaking to people which is irritating albeit respected. He never sugar-coats his thoughts for the consideration of anyone except for me. He simply speaks his mind and, more times than not, it gets him into trouble."

"that's it?" Sans asked. "that's not much to go off."

"He's a simple monster." Edge shrugged. "The point isn't for you to carry whole conversations on your own, it's to be able to manage until I get to you."

"fine. let's go." Sans sighed. He felt a bit nervous in the face of the challenge that stood before him, but it was also exciting. The intellectual part of him revelled at the idea of learning so much more about this alternate universe. The sensible part of him knew that learning anything about this place would be useless to him once he returned home and felt it wasn't worth the risk of being caught and potentially killed.

Nevertheless, the smaller skeleton followed Edge with his hands in his coat pockets to hide their slight trembling. He took deep breaths and willed himself to calm down and act disinterested with his surroundings. He forced himself not to glance at the monsters waiting in line to enter New Home and simply kept his gaze on the other's back. Edge walked all the way to the front of the line and hardly had to say anything to get the gates to open for them. The Royal Guards posted at the door gave him a salute and welcomed him back and that was that.

Sans was then astonished by the sight of this version of New Home. It was dimly lit but bore an impressive outline. The royal palace stood out like a beacon in the night and was comparable to the sun in regards to the amount of light it emitted. It was far bigger than Asgore's castle back home and Sans was honestly excited at the thought of spending his stay in a place so outwardly luxurious. He would have gawked at the city from their vantage point for a while longer, but Edge hardly intended to waste any time and lead them down into the metropolis.

As expected, the cobble stone streets were overcrowded with people and Sans almost lost sight of Edge far too many times than he would have liked. Countless monsters bumped into him, nearly knocking him over, and significantly slowed his pace. He didn't understand how Edge seem to weave through them so effortlessly. Perhaps it was because he wasn't as distracted by his surroundings. But how could Sans not ogle? Despite being dimly lit, the street lamps peppered every twenty feet produced enough light to just barely illuminate everything. The shadows may have been blacker, but nothing was totally shrouded in darkness.

The architecture of the city was surprisingly baroque rather than the gothic Sans had anticipated to see. The dome roof tops were turquoise in colour though came off as a dark blue given the poor lighting. The sandy bricks and pillars from which the buildings were comprised were smooth with simple detailing – as contradicting as it may have seemed. Sans also noticed multiple statues engraved in edifices or erected in the center of a more open space. It was truly astounding to behold.

"Sans. Keep up." Edge schooled.

After what seemed to be an endless trek through a foreign city, they finally arrived at the foot of an impressive set of stairs which lead to the palace gates. There seemed to be hundreds of them and they were all carved so beautifully out of a white stone that seemed to be marble. Sans truly could have spent hours upon hours admiring the designs that had been engraved into each step. At first glance, they seemed to be telling a story. One of the steps he could easily assess from his position depicted monster villages and human villages living in neighbourly harmony.

"Whatever you do, don't move. Don't even flinch." Edge warned beneath his breath.

Sans grimaced and before he could ask for clarifications as to why the warning was necessary, a loud booming voice shouted at them: "Papyrus! You lazy sack of shit!"

Familiar spears suddenly materialised out of nowhere and were hurled their way. Though he didn't move, Sans couldn't resist flinching after one of the spears narrowly missed him and broke through the ground next to him explosively. He only had one hp to work with after all. The littlest scratch might have done him in.

"It's not my fault!" Papyrus whined, "Sans doesn't know how to pack bags!"

A snarky laugh resounded from the top of the stairs and Sans just barely caught sight of a moving figure before Undyne landed in front of them with a wild ferocity that cracked the stone beneath her feet. She was only an inch taller than Edge if her high ponytail wasn't taken into consideration. Her skin was darker than the one from his own universe and her yellow eyes seemed to glow. Despite those superficial differences, Undyne looked relatively the same.

"You're the last one to get here, buddy." She declared as she stood upright. She then reached over and clasped Edge's shoulders almost aggressively before her lower lip trembled, "I'm so fucking glad I won't be alone with Alphys anymore!" She then wailed, shaking the taller skeleton.

"U-Undyne, calm down!" Edge protested and pulled himself out of her grip. "How long have you been with her?"

"Like, two minutes-ish. And it was horrible." Undyne reckoned. "The second Asgore peaced out, I ran off."

Edge gave her an unconvinced look.

"Okay, fine." Undyne growled, "I fucked her _then_ I ran off."

"God damn it, Undyne." Edge sighed in disappointment.

"I'm sorry I have needs!" She yelled, "I was _horny_ and you know I couldn't have just found some other woman to fuck without _sentencing_ her!" Her eyes then unexpectedly fell upon Sans who had been starting to think he would simply go ignored. "Hun. Since when are you back?"

"We're not going to talk about that." Edge cut in sharply and yet, Sans hadn't missed the disdain in her tone.

"Come on, I'm curious." Undyne pressed and glared at Sans as though he had done something wrong. "He's even got a new coat. Who's dick did you suck for it?"

"I gave it to him." Edge intervened and grabbed Sans by the arm. He began dragging him up the stairs rather quickly. It was easy to tell he was angry given the almost painful grip he had on him. However, Sans was more puzzled by the accusing look he had been shot.

"So he finally sucked your dick! Freaks!" Undyne barked with laughter as she followed them nonchalantly. She seemed offended when her comment went ignored. "Don't be so pissy, Papyrus. I'm just cracking jokes."

"You're hilarious." Edge grumbled sarcastically.

The front gates obstructing direct passage to the palace entrance were massive. There wasn't much time to gawk, but Sans did notice how the bulk of it was made of gold. He was dragged through the small opening and towards the palace entrance while Undyne continued to follow and babbled about everything and nothing. The smaller skeleton wished they could slow down now that she had moved on to other topics; the palace was incredible and he wanted to admire it. The most he was currently able to do was look at the painted ceilings and glance at the statues embedded in the walls.

"Fucking slow down, Papyrus!" Undyne whined, irritated. "There's no need to rush so fucking much. I won't ask about where he's been okay!? Geez!"

"Don't we have a meeting to attend?" Edge asked.

"Yeah, but who gives a shit?" Undyne shrugged and when that didn't work to slow him down, she added: "Alphys brought Mettaton."

Edge immediately froze and tensed. "Really…?" He asked, almost shuddering. Sans grimaced at him.

"Yep. He's been asking about you." She grinned wolfishly. "I was going to tell you sooner, but you threw a shit fit so I'm telling you now."

Sans wanted to ask what was wrong with Mettaton and why the taller skeleton seemed so distraught. Sure the robot was narcissistic and self-absorbed, but he wasn't a terrible creature. But then he remembered how he was in a different universe.

"Am I going to find him in my room again…?" Edge asked, slowly and fearfully turning to Undyne.

"Don't think so considering Alphys." She shrugged, "Then again, the both of them might just be hanging out in there."

"Can I bunk in your room then?" Edge pleaded and it was strange to suddenly see him so desperate. In fact, Edge had been acting entirely differently around Undyne from the moment she had introduced herself to them. He seemed more Papyrus-like. Sans wondered if he had been putting up a tough front around him before then.

"You; sure." Undyne agreed and then scowled at Sans, "Him; no."

"Deal." Edge agreed far too quickly for the smaller skeleton not to be alarmed. Was he really supposed to walk into a room with a crazy serial killer robot?

"What do you look so alarmed about?" Undyne sneered. "Didn't you fuck him a few times before?"

Sans was surprised by the remark. He didn't think that his alter ego would harbour a different relationship with Mettaton than Edge. He figured they must have been on the same page concerning individuals despite their apparent animosity. What he hadn't reckoned was that his doppelganger would be so sexually adventurous. "sure. wouldn't you smooch a robot?" He shrugged and hoped it was the proper response.

Undyne considered the answer. "Got me there." She admitted.

Their route subsequently changed and Edge released the grip on his arm as he began to follow Undyne to her quarters. He threw their luggage onto her bed while she headed to the anti-chamber to fetch some alcohol. Taking advantage of their brief time alone, Sans quickly asked:

"did he really have sex with mettaton?" He whispered with great concern.

"I don't know, but I don't think it's beyond him." Edge admitted, "Sexually, he's very much like Undyne and makes bad decisions."

"oh my god…" Sans whined, "how am i supposed to handle him? how does he even act around people he's had sex with?"

"I'll figure something out." Edge assured. "Don't worry."

"Hey, Pap!" Undyne shouted from the other room, interrupting their conversation, "Turns out I don't have your shitty-ass rosé!"

For some reason, he flinched and looked a little ashamed by the affirmation. "D-do you have spiced rum?" He asked, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"On the rocks?" Undyne asked, inferring she indeed did.

"Thanks." Edge nodded and turned to Sans. "Anyways, it's going to be fine. Probably."

All he did was scowl at him. It was so strange to see a skeleton he had come to know as factual and rigid, seemingly no ounce of fun and games in his bones despite the odd joke, be so lax. Not only hadn't he just guaranteed things were going to unfold in their favour, but it didn't seem to bother him. This behaviour in no way matched the skeleton that had so nervously sent him out in Snowdin alone a few weeks ago to run an errand by imposing a detailed list of rules. He had even previously refused to get drunk with him under the pretense of being an Ogruf _and_ first lieutenant of the Royal Guard despite now asking for spiced rum. This only served to confirm to Sans that he had truly been putting up a front back in Snowdin. He wondered why. Had he been trying to look cool?

Edge headed into the anti-chamber. He sat on the luxurious couch in the middle of the room and waited for Undyne to bring him his drink before she took her seat on the armchair across. Sans noticed how she vehemently began to ignore his entire existence which had him wondering again what he had done to personally offend Undyne. He would have to ask Edge when they had more time alone.

"So was I really the last person to get here?" He asked.

"Yep." She confirmed, sipping from a bottle of fireball. "Alphys was second. She probably caught sight of me on her fucking cameras while I made my way to New Home and rushed."

"Was the meeting expected to start as soon as I arrived?" Edge pressed.

"Yeah, but I don't think Asgore really cares." Undyne shrugged. "After an hour of waiting around, he went back to his room for the royal orgy."

"That's not a thing." Edge called out with an unimpressed look on his face.

"Of course it isn't." Undyne barked. "But it should be! If I was in charge around here, you bet your ass I'd make it a national holiday."

Sans grimaced at the strangeness of the exchange until he realised Edge had probably only said so for his sake. Honestly, he didn't have much trouble believing this world's Asgore held royal orgies despite never having met the guy. This place was just so strange and so opposite to his universe, it almost seemed like a natural conclusion to draw.

"So how long are we going to screw around before we get this meeting going?" Edge asked, disregarding the previous comment.

"As long as we can." Undyne said and took a big gulp from her bottle. She winced at the sharpness of the alcohol and shivered. "The…uh, the dumb guards; one of them probably went to tell Asgore you're finally here. They'll come fetch us on their own." Shortly after finishing, there was a heavy knock against her door. "Speak of the devil." She mumbled before chugging half of the bottle. Papyrus imitated her though had significantly less to drink.

"Let's get going." Edge groaned, setting his glass aside and standing.


	9. Feast

**I'm done exams and another year of university! Had I not switched programs and taken the maximum amount of classes per semester, I would have been graduating this year as well.  
But, I'm lazy and an anxious mess so that's not the case. We'll see next year, I suppose.**

 **For now, I get to focus on this story!**

 **I actually underestimated how long the "New Home" arc would be. Originally, it was meant to be like two or three chapters, but I've been splitting them up because they were starting to get long. Like, in average a chapter of this story is meant to be around 3k words, but this chapter is 5k.**

 **Anyways, there's going to be two more chapters of New Home stuff before they head back to Snowdin.**

 **For now, ENJOY!**

* * *

Sans hadn't been invited into the meeting room because of how he occupied no significant position in the management of The Graves. As much as it sucked, he didn't have to wait around for very long before it came to an abrupt end. He felt as though he had waited about thirty minutes before Edge stormed out of the room in which he and Undyne had entered shouting at the latter. She yelled back and both spoke so rapidly he could hardly make out a word of what was being said. And as much as he wanted to stick around to try and make sense of what was going on, and maybe see what the Asgore and Alphys of this universe looked like, Edge dragged him off.

The smaller skeleton considered asking him why he was suddenly so upset, but he figured he should probably wait as Edge was clearly pissed off. As such, he followed him wordlessly to Undyne's room to fetch their things and then to another wing of the palace. He walked through a door which gave out on an anti-chamber. Said room had a door on the right which seemed to be the bathroom while the door on the left was clearly host to an enormous bed. Edge threw their bags onto the lavish sofa in the center of the anti-chamber before storming off to the bedroom and slamming the door shut.

Sans remained dumfounded at the door's entrance. He glanced behind him uncertainly, hoping to see someone or something that would give him an indication on what he ought to be doing next. However, no one was there. He awkwardly stood in place before deciding to shut the door and take a seat on the sofa. He sat in silence, drumming his fingers on his knees while he glanced around. The room was fairly small in regards to Undyne's. Then again, she only had two rooms to work with while Edge had three. Sans wondered if that meant she didn't go to the bathroom. He shook his head at the stupidity of the inquiry. Her rooms had probably served as something else but had been repurposed as living quarters. Nevertheless, it left one to wonder why a bathroom wasn't considered an important commodity.

After a few minutes of rumination, Sans began to find that not only was Edge's tantrum lasting unreasonably long, but that he was getting bored with himself. He glanced around the room and quickly noticed a lone remote sitting on a small table by an oddly placed cupboard. He grabbed it and stared at it quizzically. It looked like a TV remote, but there were no TVs to be seen. Given some of the changes in this universe, it was entirely possible the remote was utilised for something else. Maybe it could shoot out lasers.

Sans found it did no such thing when he pressed what seemed to be the power button. Instead, he heard a click and then muffled voices coming from the cupboard. He opened the large doors which subsequently revealed a TV perched on top of cubbies in which were stacks of movie boxes. He ignored how peculiar it was to keep such a device hidden away. Nevertheless, it presented him with the opportunity to surf through the channels and see what kind of television the monsters of this world listened to in their spare time. He clicked through three channels before he happened upon a live recording that left him quite perplexed.

"Good evening horrid beasts of the Graves and welcome back to: _How to Slaughter like a Machine_!" A cheery robot grinned.

He continued to speak but his voice shrank and became incoherent muffles as Sans lost himself in his appearance. He bore an eerie resemblance to Mettaton, but with deliberate mistakes. The pink that usually decorated his EX form was swapped for red and he had four arms rather than two. He also seemed much bigger. Where the one he was familiar with back home was roughly the size of an adult human, this one seemed to be at least twice as big.

"Once again, I would like to thank His Ferocious Majesty, King Asgore, for providing this show with its test subjects!" Mettaton exclaimed just as he swapped one of his hands for a saw. "Now, let us begin with the rapis—"

Sans closed the TV just in time to avoid the horrible scene that would undoubtedly unfold. He took a minute to process the premise of the live show, or what it appeared to be, Mettaton was hosting. He had honestly been expecting to see something of the like, but that didn't really help in accepting it. Disgust and resentment rose within him and it took him a while to forget what he had been about to witness. What helped in changing his train of thought was realising that the fact the show was live and not a recording contradicted one of the statements Undyne had previously made. How could Mettaton be supposedly roaming around the castle, looking for Edge, if he was recording a live show elsewhere? Had she lied?

Sans glanced at the room in which Edge had locked himself for nearly an hour now. Why would she lie about that to Edge? Especially when he seemed mortified at the prospect of being confronted by said robot? After a moment of silent staring, Sans decided it was about time to start getting some answers.

He began by knocking softly at the door. When there was no response, he gently pushed the door open. "edge…?" He called out, peeking his head in. Sans held in a snort at the sight with which he was confronted. Edge was childishly laying on the bed with his head buried beneath a pillow. "what are you doing?"

Edge responded with random grumbles.

"i have no idea what you just said." Sans declared, strolling into the room. He noticed how, like in Undyne's room, there was only one bed and wondered what their sleeping arrangements would be. Though, he supposed the question could wait.

"I'm mad." Edge said more audibly.

"i know; you've been sulking in this room for an hour." Sans snickered and sat on the bed. "what happened?"

"Undyne's a fucking liar." Edge hissed.

"is this about mettaton?" Sans asked.

"What else would it be about?" Edge growled. He tugged the pillow from his head and angrily sat up. "She always pulls this shit. She lies to me to manipulate me and…it just pisses me off so fucking much! She's supposed to be my—" Edge stopped himself and seemed to come to some realisation. He dropped his train of thought and glared at his balled fists. "Forget it."

Despite how he had cut himself off, Sans was fairly certain he understood what the main issue at hand was. It didn't seem to be the fact that Undyne had warned that Mettaton was around when he wasn't which lead Edge to feel threatened and uncomfortable; the problem seemed to revolve around the act of lying and what it indicated. The taller skeleton probably felt betrayed by someone he considered his friend. How could he fully trust Undyne when she had no qualms with lying and manipulating him? How could he call her 'friend' when she didn't behave like it?

"how did she manipulate you, though?" Sans asked. It was the one aspect of the accusation he didn't quite comprehend.

"She used the bullshit about Mettaton having been invited to the party to get me to disregard my anger towards her." Edge spat. "It might seem stupid and like an overreaction to you, but it's because you don't understand."

"whoa, don't go accusing me of feeling a certain way." Sans retorted, "you might be good at deducing stuff you shouldn't be able to figure out by just looking at me, but you're completely off the mark here."

"Then what do you think?" Edge demanded apprehensively. He was abnormally aggressive at the moment, probably because Undyne had hurt him.

Sans sighed and scratched the back of his head as he mulled over his words. "honestly…" he confessed, "i think it sucks that she spat on your trust like that…that you now feel you don't really have a friend on which to rely." Edge tried to contain his emotions but Sans could see the barest hints of bewilderment spread on his face and it made him smile. "i'm not as good as you are at reading people, but i think i got this down pretty well…"

"Yeah…" Edge sighed, shoulders slacking in a manner that made him seem so deflated and resigned. "The truth is…I'm stupid for ever hoping she'll become my friend. There's no such thing as friendship in this world."

"that can't be true." Sans protested.

"Heh." Edge smirked bitterly. "What's the point of making a friend when you might have to kill them in a Battle Royale? When they might be manipulating you with the end goal of robbing or murdering you? It's how this place is. You don't have friends. You have alliances that can end at a moment's whim."

Sans frowned. It seemed sad that Edge continuously held out hope for that to change with Undyne but to no avail. "i'll be your friend." He said without quite realising it. Edge looked at him wide eyed and Sans looked away feeling embarrassed with himself. "i mean…if…you know…you want…"

Edge abruptly burst out laughing. He threw his head back as he guffawed. Sans quickly went from feeling embarrassed to mortified and offended. He was just trying to be nice and this is how his efforts were rewarded? He glanced away and rolled his eyes angrily, waiting for the laughter to die down. Before then, he was playfully pushed and nearly fell off the bed. When he glanced back, he found Edge was smiling softly at him with genuine mirth in his eyes. It made his heart skip a beat.

"You're such a dork." He said, "I wonder if the monsters of your world are as big of dorks as you."

Sans smirked and shoved him back. "that's rude. the answer is yes, though." Edge laughed a charming laugh as he settled back down on the bed. He seemed ready for a snooze which reminded Sans about their sleeping arrangements. "switching topics," he started, "are we supposed to share a bed?"

"Oh." Edge muttered as though he hadn't given it any thought. "My brother and I used to, but I can arrange for a supplementary bed to be brought in."

"that would be great." Sans sighed. "i know we just became best friends and all, but we're not close enough for bed sharing just yet."

"Don't flatter yourself." Edge smirked.

"what?" Sans teased, "as your _only_ friend, i'm automatically the _best_ one."

"What if I just don't have a best one?" Edge challenged, amused.

"impossible. i already claimed the title." Sans declared, "you'll have to fight me to the death to take it from me."

"God, you're dramatic." Edge chuckled.

"says the guy who threw a fit in a meeting and sulked in his room for an hour." Sans laughed.

"Shut up, you ass." Edge groaned and shoved Sans off the bed this time.

He landed on his butt with a loud thud and both of them laughed. It was great to have a light hearted moment in such a grim and unforgiving world.

"by the way, are we just going to faff around in our room until tomorrow or…?" Sans asked as he picked himself up from the ground.

"Unfortunately, no." Edge replied, rolling on his back and extending his arms on either side. "We're attending a banquet in a few hours. We're supposed to use this time to prepare mentally."

"okay." Sans nodded, "anything i should know? like how do i – or rather, your brother – behave around asgore?"

"I already told you." Edge groaned and shut his eyes. "He's honest and blunt even if it means being rude. He speaks his mind to literally everyone except for me if he knows it's going to upset me. There's no exception for Asgore."

Sans grimaced a bit. Given the type of entertainment monsters of this universe watched on TV in addition to what little he had witnessed in Snowdin, he was fairly certain this Asgore would be a terrifying beast to behold. He wasn't sure if he wanted to play the role of the careless asshole with him even if it truly was how his counterpart behaved. "and asgore doesn't care?" He nervously asked.

"He just brushes him off." Edge shrugged. "He's the only one that doesn't give a shit about anything Sans has to say no matter how insulting or offensive. I mean, he made heartless jokes about the Queen to him and all he did was chuckle."

"that's…good." Sans said despite not necessarily believing it. He shifted in place awkwardly as Edge seemed to be ready to snooze. Another question weighed on his mind and he wasn't sure it was a good idea to ask it, but the consequences could be very disastrous for him and he needed to know the other skeleton had a plan in mind for such an eventuality. "um…" he hesitated, "what…what happens if…your sans shows up?" Edge stiffened and his eyes opened slowly. He evidently didn't like the question. "because, if he does, i'm pretty much dead—"

"He won't show up." Edge stated and rolled onto his side.

Sans hesitated to press any further on the matter, but his life was at risk. "how can you be cer—"

" _Don't_ —" Edge sharply interrupted, raising his voice. Sans flinched and clenched his hands into fists. So much for that light hearted moment they had been sharing. "—worry about it."

"…okay." He sighed in defeat. He didn't know if he trusted Edge, but he positively hoped he would be right.

"Now leave me alone; I want to rest." Edge shooed him off, making no particular effort in being gentle about his dismissal.

"sleep tight." Sans grumbled rolling his eyes.

He left the room leaving the door slightly ajar. He wasn't quite sure what he was expected to do while he waited for the banquet to begin. He didn't want to watch anything on television as he only expected to find more shows like the one Mettaton had been hosting and there didn't seem to be much else to do other than stare at the ceiling. However, his eyes fell upon the sofa and he reckoned Edge had the right idea in sleeping the wait away. He made quick business of getting comfortable and pillowing his coat beneath his head. Soon after, he was dozing off.

* * *

"Sans…"

Sans groaned as he was pulled into consciousness much against his will. He really would have enjoyed sleeping an extra hour or two but Edge didn't seem keen on letting him.

"Sans…" He repeated.

"five more minutes." Sans whined and pulled his blanket over his head.

"You've already slept fifteen extra minutes!" Edge chastised and pulled the blanket off in annoyance. "At this rate we're going to be late!"

"nooo! give it back!" Sans complained and waved his arms around, desperately reaching for the blanket.

Edge held it out of his reach. "Put your coat on and get up." He ordered as he strutted back to his room, probably to dispose of the blanket.

Sans watched him go with a glare and a pout. His source of warmth was gone but, fortunately, his coat was a suitable replacement. He snuggled into it, still a bit drowsy from being awoken. Despite now sitting upright and ready to go, his mind still lingered on the blanket and the idea of sleeping a few extra hours. It was as he focused on how wonderfully warm the blanket had been that he realised he hadn't gone to sleep with one. Before he could ask himself if Edge had been the one to give it to him while he slept, the skeleton in question returned.

"Alright, let's go." He barked.

Sans stretched out his arms towards him. "carry me." He requested. Papyrus used to carry him around all the time back home when he was tired. It gave him a chance to sleep in his arms, which was always nice.

"What?" Edge grimaced at him.

"carry me." Sans repeated and wiggled his arms. He didn't think his request would be fulfilled but it was worth a shot. "please."

Edge stared at him dumbly for a moment. Then he marched over and, much to his surprise, scooped him up. He held him chest to chest with both of his arms hoisting him from beneath – just like Papyrus. Sans's mouth fell open in surprise with a gasp. Edge sure knew how to surprise him and that realisation pulled a laugh from him as he draped his arms around the other's shoulders.

"i didn't think you would." He confessed.

"Whatever, just don't go falling asleep." Edge grumbled and carried him out of the room.

"but that was the whole point of being carried." Sans whined, shoving his face in the crook of the taller skeleton's neck.

"Don't be such a baby!" Edge chastised, "It's barely a five minute walk, there's no time to sleep anyhow."

"yes there is!" Sans protested, "there's _five_ minutes!"

"I'm going to start ignoring you now." Edge pointed out.

"and _i'm_ going to sleep." Sans challenged and shut his eyes.

Regardless of the lack of retort from Edge, the smaller skeleton was far too awake now to doze off though he did pretend to be sleeping out of spite. Five short minutes later, he was dropped to the ground but managed to land on his feet. He flashed a look of defiance to Edge who seemed rather impressed with him in return. He had probably expected him to fall clumsily onto the ground.

"We're just around the corner." Edge informed, glancing to the direction from which a cacophony of voices resounded. "Soon we'll be surrounded by people who will recognise you as my brother. Just remember to leave all if not most of the talking to me."

Sans nodded. "solid pep talk."

"Don't get sassy with me." Edge rolled his eyes. "Now follow me and keep to yourself. My brother would be very disinterested in what others at this event are doing."

Sans nodded once more and followed Edge as he lead the way in.

Monsters were already grouped around the entrance of the banquet hall and many more were in the room. Sans was overwhelmed by the amount of black and red each guest wore. It took away from the baroque style of the room and made it seem so ugly even though it was quite the opposite. He stopped his eyes from curiously roaming around and admiring the art on the ceiling, remembering Edge's most recent warning. He shoved his hands in his pockets and kept his gaze down, gluing them to the other's feet. He followed him as he weaved through the thick crowd and made his way up the stage at the other end of the room.

It was at this point Sans dared to look up as he was perplexed by the presence of the platform. It was fairly small and in no way for theatre shows. Currently, it hosted a long table extravagantly decorated and covered in steaming meals all of which were mouth-watering. He wouldn't have been surprised to be told that this was the dais's only purpose. There were five seats in total, the one at the center being alarmingly humongous. Sans wondered if it was Asgore's seat.

Undyne and Alphys were already seated at the table. The General of the Royal Guard seemed thoroughly annoyed by the scientist's presence and affection. Alphys effectively clung to her arm and nuzzled her while she attempted to flirt but to no avail. Sans was momentarily stricken by her appearance. Her complexion was slightly darker but significantly rougher than his Alphys. Her glasses were cracked but also didn't seem to harbour a prescription thus questioning their purpose on her face entirely. Her teeth were alarmingly pointy like she might have sharpened them herself. As for her clothes, Sans would struggle to imagine the Alphys from his world sporting anything she currently wore. The mad scientist had opted to wear a low cut dress which accentuated her curves and brought out her already large breasts. It seemed both unprofessional and vile given her position and the sophistication of the gathering. Then again, Sans's wear could hardly be described as posh either.

"Pap, thank god." Undyne groaned, quickly noticing the both of them. She roughly shrugged Alphys off her arm to stand and greet them, much to her annoyance.

"Sans?" Alphys sneered, peeking her head out from behind Undyne. "Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

"i wish i was…" Sans grumbled and glanced away. He wasn't quite genuine, but it seemed like something his counterpart might have said.

"Anyways," Undyne rolled her eyes. "Have a seat, buddy. I got one of the hot servant girls to bring the King's finest rosé."

"I'll be sure to thank her when she returns." Edge coldly, and Sans would add: childishly, sneered.

Undyne clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Fuck me, Papyrus!" She moaned, "Are you really going to keep being a fucking bitch?"

Sans saw the moment Edge snapped. There might have even been an audible sound had he listened for it. The skeleton in question balled his fists, ready to throw a punch, as he lost his mind. "Why don't you fuck off then!?"

"What the fuck is even your problem!?" Undyne retorted, mimicking his gesture.

Sans was certain a fight was going to break out and he wasn't sure if he should try stopping it. Was that what his counterpart would have done?

"I'm a little bitch apparently, do I need a fucking problem to lash out, you manipulative piece of shit!?" Edge barked back antagonistically.

Undyne reacted to his words as though she had been literally slapped in the face. "You are such a fucking child!" She hissed back, "I wouldn't have fucking lied to you if you pulled that massive log out of your fucking ass and answered my god damn question!"

"Right, because acting like a fucking jackass to me warranted a lie rather than a fucking apology for having gone too far!" Edge called out.

"Why the fuck should I apologise to a little bitch!?" Undyne growled, grabbing Edge by the scarf. She was dangerously close to throwing a punch as well.

Sans glanced around the room, alarmed to find everyone had gone quiet and was watching their very loud argument unfold. He then looked at Alphys who was rather amused by how things were transpiring. She sat comfortably in her chair, sipping a glass of wine without a care. Her disposition told Sans he shouldn't get involved, but he couldn't help feeling like he should be intervening all the same.

"Get your fucking hand off me." Edge hissed lowly.

"Or what? You going to punch me, asshat?" Undyne goaded.

Edge might have punched her then and there. He certainly moved as though he was about to, but was halted to a still when the banquet doors were violently slammed shut. The room collectively gasped and glanced in the disruption's direction only to find King Asgore had arrived looking as sour as ever. Sans held in a nervous gulp at the sight of him. To say he was gigantic was an understatement. 'Titan' was a far more accurate word. He towered above the other monsters so much so he could probably squash them beneath his massive feet if he wasn't careful. Appearance-wise, there was nothing remotely similar to the Asgore Sans was familiar with. This beast bore black hair and a black beard. His large fangs stuck out of his mouth and his eyes were a crimson red, almost giving him the appearance of a vampire. He was very muscly and not even his massive cloak or thick kingly clothes could hide that. Sans wasn't sure he would be able to maintain the charade of his counterpart in his incredibly intimidating presence.

"This is embarrassing." Asgore growled lowly. His voice was deep and powerful, shaking the entire room and resonating through Sans's bones. "My General and First Lieutenant are behaving like children in front of my most distinguished guests." He glared at both Undyne and Edge and Sans couldn't understand how neither of them cowered or even flinched. "Undyne; release him. Papyrus; lower your fists. You shame yourselves but, more importantly, me." Undyne and Edge glared at each other one last time before complying. "Lovely."

Asgore quietly made his way through the crowd of monsters and towards his seat at the banquet table. Those in his way parted immediately but bowed while doing so. Asgore hardly seemed to notice. Instead, he stared vacantly ahead of him and hardly acknowledged any of the Ogrufs or even Sans as he took his plate at the center. Edge took the seat directly on his left while Undyne took over the one on his right. The taller skeleton pulled Sans into the vacant spot next to him before anyone could notice his very awestruck expression. Soon after they were all seated, the remaining guests gathered at the long banquet tables Sans hadn't previously noticed lined at the center of the room.

A deafening silence washed over and Sans hesitated to breathe as he feared it would break the tense stillness that seemingly froze time itself. After an extended moment, Asgore released a heavy sigh and grabbed a jug of wine he subsequently poured into his glass. It was comically small in his massive hand, but no one who noticed so much as smiled to convey their amusement because clearly no one was stupid enough. There was no amusement to be had in the presence of this titan. Slowly, Asgore raised his glass and everyone in the room slowly mimicked him, never daring to raise their own any higher than his.

"We are gathered here today," Asgore began as though he were hosting a wedding and not a banquet, "to mark the end of another effective Battle Royale. Due to the efforts of my tactlessly juvenile General, Undyne, this has been the most successful one yet. I raise my glass to to those who lived."

"To those who lived!" The guests replied in unison.

Asgore pushed his glass up slightly more before taking a quick sip and everyone followed suite. Then, the murmurs of conversation began to stir and soon the room was as loud as before Undyne and Edge had had their row. Sans couldn't fathom how anyone felt comfortable doing so in Asgore's presence. He was so threatening in sheer appearance the skeleton almost wanted to laugh because it was far too surreal.

Edge suddenly bumped his elbow into his side, drawing him out of his stupor. "Stop staring and eat." He whispered.

Sans nodded and forced himself to tear his gaze off the massive beast sitting only a seat away. At the same time, the famed servant girl arrived and squeezed in next to he and Edge to serve him the rosé Undyne had demanded. The smaller skeleton stared at his big empty plate, clutching a fork and a knife tightly in his tensed hands while he tried to calm himself. Just before he decided he should probably take some food from the huge plates scattered across their table, Edge had taken the initiative. He dumped a bit of everything he could get his hands on in his plate and gave him an encouraging smile. It did more for Sans than he probably knew.

The smaller skeleton tentatively prodded his food. He recognised a few items like mashed potato and ham, but some others were foreign to him. Edge even gave him a weird look when he grimaced at the orange chunky substance taking nearly half of his plate, as though Sans was strange for being bewildered by it. Regardless, he supposed he ought to try it. He took a small portion and smelled it first. He identified the odor of caramelised onions with hints of something…flowery. He shrugged, expecting it to be sweet when he put it in his mouth but then coughed violently when it was somehow sour and spicy. He made such a commotion as he scrambled for a glass of water that Asgore glanced his way in mild annoyance and curiosity.

"Don't mind him." Edge was quick to say, "He's been like this since he got back. I'm hoping it's just a phase."

The titan nodded and glanced back at his food. Sans sighed in relief internally. He would certainly be avoiding that weird orange stuff henceforth.

Supper continued tensely but leisurely. No conversation was made at their table but the room was filled with the rumble of idle chatter had by the other guests seated before them. When the main course was finished, the tables were cleared and a glorious desert was brought in. Dozens upon dozens of servants entered the banquet hall carrying enormous platters of various cakes and pastries all of which looked absolutely delicious. The smaller skeleton felt he would enjoy this part of the course more than the first. A cake composed of nine layers was set before them dripping of wet white frosting and garnishing gumdrops. Sans's mouth was literally watering. Each was served a generous portion and as soon as he could, he dug into the delicious-looking food. Never had Sans tasted anything quite as salty. What he took for vanilla frosting was actually liquid salt as far as he was concerned. Needless to say, the big bite he had taken left his stomach rather upset.

Fortunately, not all was lost. Platters of pastries were brought to their table and the ones Sans had boldly picked out were not only edible, but good. A few of them were initially jarring to the taste, but once he got over his apprehensions he quite enjoyed them.

"You're not eating your cake." Edge noted as Sans stretched for the pastry platter once more.

"cake? i think you mean brick of salt." Sans snorted.

Edge grimaced at him. "You don't like salt cake?" He asked.

"what the hell? that's a thing?" Sans whispered in total awe.

"Yes!" Edge whispered back. "My brother loves that stuff!"

Sans tensed and slowly looked at the huge piece he hadn't dared to touch since he painstakingly swallowed his first bite. "nothing in the multiverse is going to convince me to finish that thing." He declared, deadpan. "not even the threat of death."

Edge chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Fine, don't worry about it." He said and when he caught Asgore looking at him, he quickly wiped the smile from his face.

Desert only lasted an extra half hour before Asgore wordlessly rose from his seat and left the banquet hall. Sans thought it was strange, but no one else commented on it. Instead, the guests simply rose from their own seats and began leaving. The King's departure marked the end of the meal, he supposed.

"So Undyne…" Alphys said leering at the General in question. "I've got a _big_ empty bed all to myself—"

"Are you still mad at me?" Undyne asked Edge, completely ignoring Alphys.

"What do you think?" Edge hissed as he got up.

"Come on, buddy!" Undyne whined, "The hell do I have to do to end this bullshit?"

"Do you not realise what you did wrong?" Edge frowned.

She sighed in response. "You're being as bad as Alphys right now…"

"I'm right here." Alphys called out.

"You're a liar." Edge stated.

"So?" Undyne shrugged and gestured Sans with her chin. "He's one too."

Sans jolted in surprise. Had she seen through his façade? Was it because of the cake?

"That doesn't excuse your lie." Edge stated.

He turned away and pulled Sans along by guiding him with a hand on his back. He wanted to glance over his shoulder to see Undyne's face but resisted. It wasn't in the habit of his doppelganger to express concern or interest for another in any form.

"so is the celebration done yet?" Sans asked just as they left the banquet hall.

"We're meant to be here for three days, what do you think?" Edge replied.

"well i don't see what else there is to do." Sans admitted, "there was a feast, asgore cheered to those who lived and marked the end of the battle royale."

"True." Edge conceded, "But how can you gather the bourgeoisie and not host a ball?"


	10. And So We Dance

"You're thinking too much about the ball." Edge stated, drawing Sans out of his thoughts. "Stop it. There's nothing to worry about."

An uneventful day had passed lazing around the Palace and keeping mostly to themselves as they waited for the ball to commence. Finally their wait was done. The servants had fetched Sans's bed to accommodate the families of nobles who had only come for the ball rather than the banquet that had taken place the day before. The two had done rock-paper-scissors to decide who would get the bed and who would be doomed to the couch. Sans had fortunately won the first time and every subsequent round Edge demanded for a rematch. Now they stood in the bedroom. Edge had his outfit sprawled on the spacious bed and was sorting the pieces while Sans lingered by the closet, leaning against the expensive-looking furniture.

"you're not taking in count the unexpected." Sans challenged.

"Before, yes. Now, however, it's a different story." Edge said as he fished through his luggage to pull out a rather snazzy suit. "Initially, I figured I was going to get distracted by Undyne at some point and you would be left to fend for yourself. However, I don't intend to speak with her during this thing so I'll be by your side the whole time. You won't have a chance to screw up with me around."

"i guess that's somewhat comforting." Sans supposed, though it did nothing to quench his worries about being out of place in terms of his attire.

He didn't quite like that the taller skeleton got to wear a suit while he was meant to continue wearing what he already always wore. Apparently, his alter ego wasn't fond of dressing up for posh events and while Sans couldn't say he was either, he loathed feeling out of place and always did the bare minimum to fit in. However, the bare minimum wasn't an option here.

"As for your clothes, don't worry about it." Edge added after a moment.

"how did i give it away?" Sans asked, surprised.

"Your eyes have been constantly drifting to your own clothes." Edge stated, "You were also fixated on the outfit I brought."

"you know…" Sans mumbled, assessing the skeleton, "i never really got how you were this good at reading people. i mean, there's only so much body language and examining can tell you about another monster."

"Very true." Edge conceded and began unstrapping his breastplate. "It's why it helps so much that you wear yourself on your sleeve."

"i don't!" Sans protested.

"You do." The other maintained. "You've got a terrible poker face. You're honest and good; two things that further prove you're not from here."

He set the piece of armour on the ground carefully. Next he tugged on the belt around his waist and Sans turned away to allow him some privacy as he knew the pants would soon follow. He folded his arms as he faced the wall and pouted at the declaration.

"Don't be offended, I was trying to complement you." Edge snickered and Sans flinched and gritted his teeth in annoyance. He was probably doing his deduction thing on purpose now. "You're probably excellent at hiding your thoughts in your universe, but you have to be better to survive here."

"so how do you do it?" Sans asked. "i refuse to believe it's just because i allegedly wear myself on my sleeve."

Edge considered his answer for a moment which annoyed Sans all the more. "Well, understanding someone's personality and paying attention to what they say and do is also very indicative." He eventually answered, "Take, for example, when you were accusing me of being evil because I killed a child without any remorse." Sans stiffened a bit. He wasn't sure he wanted to delve into said example, but he nodded all the same. "I got heated and eventually called you out for your hypocrisy as you had done the same thing. I knew because of how focused you were on the detail that the person I had killed was a child. More than that, the way you manifested your anger was personal – almost as though you were yelling at yourself more than at me. I didn't say it then, but I knew how much your actions tormented you with just that."

"heh. clever." Sans huffed softly.

"Sorry." Edge apologised. "I didn't mean to ruin your mood. It was just the first thing that came to my mind."

"it's fine. i asked." Sans conceded.

"You can turn around now." Edge said.

Sans did so without second thought and then froze when his eyes fell upon the other. He stopped for a moment to admire him. At first he thought the colours would look silly on him. After all, the suit was burgundy, his dress shirt was black, and his bow tie was silver. And yet, he looked handsome. One might even venture further into flattering compliments, but Sans decided to hold himself back and settle on the very tamed but accurate "handsome".

"Do I dazzle you that much?" Edge teased and only then did the smaller skeleton realise he had been staring.

He shook his head and forced himself to look away as a blush manifested on his cheeks. He also tried to think of a joke to defuse the situation but none came to mind. Sans felt embarrassed with himself.

"Alright, what time is it?" Edge asked and glanced around the room until his eyes fell upon a clock. "It's almost seven. Let's go."

He lead the way out of their room and Sans was surprised to find that even the corridor in front of their quarters, which was usually empty, was full of monsters. They varied drastically from species and genders but they all wore extravagant clothes the colours of which were the expected shades of red and black. However, this time some monsters had delved beyond and opted for dark purples and blues – though Sans wasn't sure they really counted as colours because the shades were often so dark they were practically black.

With that said, he kept his eyes mostly to himself and followed Edge closely as they weaved through the palace and monsters, heading towards the ball room. The room in question was far bigger than the banquet hall almost ludicrously so. Sans was fairly certain it was possible to fit a smaller castle into just this one room. Instead, it was packed with finely dressed monsters and buffet tables. Edge pushed further into the crowd and Sans had to stick very close to him so as not to get lost. A servant crossed in front of them baring a trey of champagne glasses and the taller skeleton smoothly snatched two, handing one to Sans. They continued moving until they reached a relatively clear spot somewhere near the middle of the room, near the wall on the left.

"there are a lot of people." Sans commented.

"It's a ball." Edge pointed out.

Sans rolled his eyes and shrugged the comment away. He glanced at the crowd. There were so many people who all seemed so busy with their own discussions that Sans felt a little less out of place in terms of his clothing. He was fairly sure no one would take notice of his casual appearance and that brought him a certain comfort.

"so…" Sans mumbled after an extended silence. He examined his champagne glass before peering at the taller skeleton, "you're drinking tonight?"

"Yup." Edge confirmed and took a generous gulp of the bubbly liquid.

"what happened to your vow of eternal sobriety?" Sans teased, nudging him with his elbow, "didn't you say you were too busy to get drunk?"

"At the time you offered, yes." Edge confirmed without batting an eye, "Currently, however, the answer is different." He finished the rest of his champagne with another big gulp and caught a nearby servant's attention. "Is there any wine floating around?" He asked as he handed them his empty glass.

"I-I believe so." They stammered nervously in response.

"Find some and bring it here." Edge demanded.

The servant nodded anxiously and disappeared into the crowd of well-dressed monsters.

"I'm going to get wrecked." Edge declared with a deadpan expression.

"that seems entirely irresponsible." Sans chuckled. "count me in."

The servant returned a few moments later with the wine Edge requested and more. He offered three different bottles of red, one of white, and additional cocktails popular with the guests. Unsurprisingly, Edge demanded they give them everything they had found and so one of them went to fetch a small table on which to put the beverages before leaving. Sans laughed at the insanity of the taller skeleton. Clearly, he was intent on blowing off a lot of steam. However, just when they were about to drink, Undyne happened upon them.

It didn't seem as though she meant to, though she did seem to be looking for someone – perhaps Edge himself. Nevertheless, when she caught sight of them, she immediately made her way to them. Sans was also awed by the attire she wore, but made an effort not to stare as he had with Edge. She wore a black crop top and high waist dress pants only leaving a tasteful ribbon of skin exposed. She had also let down her hair which draped over her bare shoulders and had applied makeup that accentuated her eyes and cheekbones.

"Pap, I've been looking for you! I need your help!" She declared.

"Can't. I'm busy." He declared chugging a glass of red wine.

"You can get fucked up later, I need you as my wingman." Undyne pressed and the request alarmed Sans. The last thing he wanted was to be left alone, even if no one seemed to be paying attention to him. "Alphys keeps spooking the babes I hit on. None of them want to indulge because they're afraid of dying. I need you to do your thing."

Edge stared at her blankly. He didn't seem to be considering her offer and Sans was starting to feel relieved. "Fine." Edge agreed and Sans choked on the champagne he was sipping in surprise. So much for the earlier promise of spending the ball by his side. "I'll be right back, Sans. Don't drink all the wine."

Undyne beamed giddily. "Fuck yeah, that's the Papyrus I know!" She laughed and smacked his back aggressively playfully, "Thanks for helping me get laid."

And Sans watched them disappear into the crowd as though they had been swallowed by a beast. Suddenly, he felt very alone and exposed. He worriedly thought about the possibility that someone might approach him and try to start a conversation despite the disinterest he had noted earlier. Though Edge insisted he stop worrying and thinking too deeply about it, it was much easier said than done. The smaller skeleton anxiously began downing the alcohol at his disposal in a vain effort to calm his nerves. However, he continued to practise conversations in his head all the while hoping not having to put his pretend into practise.

"Sans." A low, rumbling voice trembled through him.

Sans glanced up and loathed to behold Asgore. He wasn't quite sure how he hadn't noticed the titan as someone of his size shouldn't have been able to sneak up on him or anyone for that matter. And yet, he still had likely because he had been so distracted with his anxiety.

"hey." He said meekly, wondering if he had uttered the right thing.

"You're alone. I'm surprised." He said reaching down for one of the many glasses of wine. He picked the one containing the white wine. "Your brother has had you obediently by his side almost defensively. It's difficult to approach you."

"eh…what can i say?" Sans replied hoping the response wasn't taken as literal as he quietly meant it. He really had no idea what to say to him. With any luck, this conversation wouldn't last for much longer and Edge would return.

"I suppose you're right." Asgore hummed in agreeance. "I don't quite understand how he's gotten you to be so quiet. You usually laugh at my toasts. Perhaps this one was better worded."

Sans recalled how the toast "to those who lived" had initially sounded like the beginning of a speech meant for a marriage. "it wasn't." He said bluntly. "i felt like you were about to marry someone."

Asgore smirked and sipped his wine. "You're insufferable."

A silence fell upon them and it wasn't quite as heavy as Sans imagined it would be. Somehow, it was almost light. The tension he had initially felt was mostly gone, though he still wished for a speedy end to this interaction.

"I hate these gatherings." Asgore declared lowly. "They're a waste of time."

"so cancel them." Sans suggested. The king glanced at him and he wondered if something about his response was out of his alter ego's character. He really hoped it wasn't the case.

"If only." Asgore sighed, "Fortunately, all that's required of me is a brief appearance. I'll be heading back to my quarters soon."

"tired already?" Sans teased, but Asgore grimaced at him.

"I'm inviting you." Asgore bluntly said.

Sans wasn't sure what that meant. "…to your room?" He asked uncertainly. Asgore grimaced further.

"Yes." He answered.

Sans shifted awkwardly and swirled the remaining liquid in his glass anxiously. He clearly felt there was something he was missing about the offer and he hesitated to ask. His doppelganger would have known exactly what was going on and that thought made him all the more nervous.

"Undyne has also expressed wanting to join us." Asgore added, "Though she seems a bit preoccupied by chasing skirts with Papyrus."

Sans stared at Asgore for a moment as he tried to piece what was being insinuated. Slowly but surely, the puzzle pieces fell in place and he blushed so violently it was physically painful. When Asgore's eyes met his once more, he actually laughed at the sight of him.

"I've never seen you bashful before." He said, amused. However, Sans could hardly focus on that as he anxiously wondered if his alter ego was romantically involved with the king. Was he expected to play the role of his lover? Would he give himself away by not doing what the other Sans would have done?

"must be the alcohol." Sans excused.

"Regardless, come." Asgore requested, "The others are already waiting."

 _The…others?_ Sans repeated, processing the information and implication. _The royal orgy is actually a thing!?_

"o-oh…um…" Sans stammered, far too overwhelmed by what had just been revealed. "i…um, i can't. papyrus doesn't want me to wander off."

"He doesn't seem to be preoccupied by your current whereabouts." Asgore noted. "Do what you will. You know where my quarters are if you change your mind." He seemed to be leaving when he stopped himself to add: "One last thing. I do expect you to inform me about where it was you disappeared off to for months on end."

"…s-sure." Sans nodded.

Asgore nodded in return and finally left. He watched him head towards the door and exit the room. He only dared to breathe again when he was out of sight. He definitely deserved another drink. Rather than reach for the wine, he took one of the cocktails and only noticed then how much he had been trembling with both fear and anxiety. Sans was unsure the king had noticed, though he had no reason to believe he wouldn't have said anything if he did. Nevertheless, that was in the past now.

Sans glanced around the room looking Edge. He had been gone for a while now and the smaller skeleton didn't want those who had noticed he had spoken with the king to have taken said interaction as an open invitation to follow suit. Maintaining a façade and pretending to be someone he knew next to nothing about had been difficult enough with the king. He wasn't sure how long he would last if the unassisted conversations continued.

A few minutes later, he noticed movement from the corner of his eye. After a quick peek, he saw that one of the bourgeois guests was making their way towards him. He stiffened and nervously prayed to any cosmic force willing to listen to prevent a conversation from taking place. Maybe the monster was just intending to pass by. Unfortunately, his hopes were shattered when the stranger in question perched themselves in front of him and cleared their throat, demanding his attention.

"what?" Sans asked.

The monster wore a smug expression and placed their arms akimbo. "Sans the skeleton." They said, "I had heard the rumours, but I hardly believed you really returned up until this point."

Sans shrugged his shoulders. The monster wasn't giving him much to work with in terms of forming a comeback. "good for you." He settled with.

"Well?" They asked expectantly. "Where did you disappear to?"

Just as they finished their question, Sans caught sight of Edge and Undyne emerging from the crowd. Edge went from a look of surprise upon seeing the other monster to total anger. He stomped over and shoved them away.

"Why the fuck are you talking with him!?" He demanded from the stranger. His words were slurred and the smaller skeleton then knew that he was drunk. He must have had more to drink while he was away with Undyne.

"I-I'm making conversation!" The other retorted, aghast by the manhandling.

"Oh my gooood!" Undyne drawled excitedly. She was clearly as drunk as Edge. "Papyrus is going to smack a bitch!"

"There's nothing wrong with making conversation—" The other tried, but Edge didn't care.

"There is when you don't have permission!" Edge snapped and pushed the stranger away. "And I don't recall giving it to you so fuck off."

"Punch him right in his stupid rich face!" Undyne cheered, pumping her fist in the air.

"How dare you!" The other exclaimed angrily, "You ought to show me some respect! Do you not know who I am!?"

"I don't give a shit and neither does the law." Edge stated, poking the other's chest harshly. "If I remember correctly, and note that I _am_ intoxicated, we have laws concerning property and consequences when said property is threatened by another."

"Oh! He's getting judicial!" Undyne shouted. "Shit's going to go down!"

"S-Sans isn't property." The other tried to say assertively, but he was evidently intimidated by this point.

"He is. He's _mine_." Edge argued frightfully. "And I feel that you're posing a threat to _my_ property. Given our loosey-goosy laws, this is enough of a basis to legally kill you. So if your life means something to you, you're going to _fuck off_."

"Murder blow!" Undyne yelled and then imitated an explosion.

The other monster frowned deeply and said nothing. They simply held Edge's gaze for a short minute before silently conceding and leaving. Undyne guffawed loudly and shouted insults their way as they left. Finally alone, Edge turned to Sans and stumbled to him. He gave him a hug.

"I'm sorry you're not property you're an independent skeleton boy and I respect you I just wanted him to leave." Edge slurred rapidly in one breath while Sans tried to keep him up. He stank of liquor and booze to the point it was a bit nauseating. "Also, sorry I left you for so long."

"it's fine, just please stand up on your own." Sans whispered to him. His arms were losing strength and he wasn't going to be able to keep the other from crushing him very soon. Edge complied and jumped back as he did so. "looks like you had fun with undyne."

"Boy did we!" Undyne shouted and slung her arm around Edge's neck, "I'm going to have an orgy with a bunch of hot babes!"

Edge frowned in contemplation. "Isn't it just a threesome?" He asked mostly to himself, "You're only going to be three in total."

"unless she's joining asgore." Sans pointed out.

Undyne stiffened and her eyes widened while Edge just seemed puzzled. "Wha…?" He asked, "Do you mean the royal orgy? That's not a thing…"

Undyne gestured to her neck to signify he should drop the topic. Sans wasn't sure he wanted to. It wasn't like there would be real consequences for him, but he supposed it wasn't fair nor kind to let his alter ego suffer the repercussions of his shenanigans once he returned.

"yes." He simply said.

"Anyways," Undyne eagerly changed the subject, "let's get fucking smashed! Sans, you look too sober! Chug something!"

Sans glanced at the cocktail in his hand tentatively. "i'm not sure i should." He said looking at Edge. "pap— _boss_ ," he remembered, though he wasn't sure if it changed anything as he hadn't remembered to refer to him as such until now, "is pretty out of it."

"Since when did you get a stick jammed right up your skeleton ass?" Undyne sneered, "Don't be a loser and get drunk with us."

"Do it." Edge pushed as well, "This is the only time I'll get drunk with you." Sans worriedly looked down at the alcohol. As much as he wanted to, he didn't want to muck things up and get found out. "Don't worry. I'll protect you."

"What? From creepy folk who want to get all handsy?" Undyne snorted, unaware to what the other was actually alluding. Though Sans didn't doubt he would also include that in his definition if it happened to be the case.

"Live a little." Edge goaded further.

Sans smirked and shook his head, glancing down once more at his beverage. If he got drunk and things went south, it could mean his death. He would never be able to go home. Then again, there was no guarantee he would actually be able to go home anyhow. After all, he had no idea if he was going about fixing the MaWoIn machine in the right way. He shrugged and chugged what remained of his beverage. With the future so uncertain, he might as well just, as Edge had beckoned, live a little. Hopefully he would suffer nothing worse than a migraine come the following morning.

"Yeah! That's the spirit!" Undyne hollered with a boisterous laugh. "Geez, this is the first time I recall you needing some convincing to get drunk. That time away must have been soul searching for you."

"i do feel illuminated." Sans nodded, holding in a belch.

"Well, drink more!" Undyne exclaimed and shoved another cocktail in his hands, "Who knows, maybe by the end of this night we'll also be friends!" She paused for a moment before laughing at herself, "What the fuck am I saying; best case scenario I'll just hate you a little less."

"that's the spirit." Sans mumbled and then drank.

He drank many more beverages, initially keeping count but slowly losing track of the numbers. He supposed it didn't really matter. Before long the world was spinning and everything around him was distorted. But as disorienting as that was, at least everything seemed brighter and joyous. Sans had never laughed quite as much as he did with Edge and Undyne and the two other monster girls that had randomly joined them – the two seemed to have simply appeared out of thin air.

Nevertheless, Sans had fun. And hours later, he found himself stumbling back to his and Edge's room with arms slung around one another for support. However, they still stumbled everywhere. He hadn't realised the fun had ended, but he was content even if most of what had transpired currently eluded him.

"you're so heavy." Sans laughed.

"Not my fault you're so small…" Edge mumbled in response.

They struggled to open the door to their quarters. They struggled so much, in fact, it had Sans in a fit. Soon his eyes were watered with laughter so much so he couldn't see. Edge, fortunately, was able to guide him inside having him bump into a minimum of things. They went into the bedroom and Sans threw himself on the bed. As soon as he was horizontal, sleep began to overcome him. His eyes were drooping shut and he knew it was time to go to bed. However, Edge sat on the bed and drew him out of his drowsiness but only for a short moment.

"hey, i get the bed tonight." Sans reminded with a lazy smile.

"Oh yeah." Edge muttered as though he had truly forgot. "Well," he shifted and turned towards Sans, "Goodnight." Then he leaned down and kissed him briefly before standing up and wobbling away.

Though he was initially surprised and flustered by the gesture, Sans's exhaustion took over and before he knew it he was asleep.


	11. Hooked on a Feeling

Sans woke up with a heavy groan and a horrible pounding in his head. He winced and pressed his hands over his shut eyes, rubbing them hard in a failed effort to stifle the pain. He was hung over and it was going to suck. After a moment of wallowing in self-pity, he chanced his eyes open and immediately shut them as he was blinded by the brightness of light he hadn't turned off before falling asleep. Given how drunk he had been, could he really be blamed? Nevertheless, it took him a few more attempts to adjust to the light. Once he did, he sighed deeply and stared at the painted ceiling.

"i have to pee." He mumbled to himself regretfully.

Slowly, he sat up and despite how careful he had been, he was still hit by a dizzy spell and nausea. He remained incredibly still as he waited for his malaise to pass; sighing in relief once it did. He was going to have to take this process very carefully even though his bladder severely protested the slow and steady method he had settled on. With determination, he could make it to the bathroom no problem.

Sans crept across the room with his arms stretched out in front of him to help maintain his balance. It was entirely possible that he was still a little drunk from the night before. He usually didn't go _that_ crazy with his drinking back home. The alcohol here might also have been stronger than what he was used to. Regardless, he was so focused on not falling and making it to his destination that he failed to take notice of a tall sleeping skeleton sprawled across the floor just outside the bedroom. His foot caught on his side and the smaller skeleton promptly fell over with a loud thud. Needless to say, Edge was no longer sleeping after said fall.

"Ow, what the hell?" He groaned as he groggily came to. "Sans…? What the fuck?"

"what are you doing on the floor?" Sans moaned, sluggishly pushing himself up. He froze instantly when his bladder gave a threatening throb. "o-oh god! i need to go to the bathroom—"

Edge stared at him in sleepy confusion, but suddenly his expression changed drastically. He almost seemed to have gone green in the blink of an eye and it didn't take much for Sans to figure out he was probably going to throw up. The other thus shoved him over as he made a break for the bathroom.

" _ow!_ " Sans protested and glared up, barely catching a glimpse of Edge entering the bathroom. "what are you doing!?" He complained and picked himself up again. With legs tensely pressed together, he wobbled to the bathroom slowly while Edge spilled his guts out. The sound was raucous and gross, but it didn't deter from the fact that he was going to explode very soon. "move!" He demanded when he reached the bathroom, "i need to pee badly!"

Edge threw up a few more times before his nausea stopped long enough to allow him to speak. He barely glanced over his shoulder as he breathlessly said: "Find another one."

"i can't!" Sans groaned, "you find another one! i really need to go!"

"I was—" Edge started but stopped himself when a troubling gurgle sounded from his throat. He swallowed down what may have been vomit before continuing. "I was here first!"

"you shoved me while i was on my way!" Sans called out.

"Not my pro—" But he didn't manage to finish his sentence when the puke he had resisted came back up with a force. He heaved over the toilet and threw up once more; the stench absolutely horrendous.

"god damn it!" Sans groaned and turned away, wrinkling his face in disgust but also trouble. He had no idea where he was supposed to go. He wasn't even sure he could make it to a toilet even if it was two steps away. If only— Sans gasped in realisation and slapped his own forehead at his own stupidity. "i'm an idiot!"

He teleported to the bathroom in Snowdin in the nick of time, wondering why he hadn't thought to do so earlier. Nevertheless, with his issue solved, he returned to the palace where Edge was still vomiting everything he had ever consumed. He remained hunched over the toilet for three hours, routinely retching while Sans stood a distance away and shouted words of sympathy. Once his stomach had calmed down, he cleaned himself up and changed into his regular clothes though the stench of his puke lingered.

Edge trudged to the sofa on which Sans had settled himself and collapsed onto it. They stewed in silence for a moment; taking in their horrible states. Both looked dishevelled and smelled of vomit. When they realised what they probably looked like to an outsider, they steadily began to laugh.

"What a mess." Edge said with a sigh.

"what a mess." Sans nodded in agreement. "got anything for headaches?"

"Yeah, there's a medicine cabinet in the bathroom." Edge informed. "I need one too but I'm way too exhausted to move."

"don't worry, i got it." Sans assured. He raised his hand and used his blue magic to open the cabinet and bring all of its contents to him. Edge stared at the floating objects in tired awe.

"That's so convenient." He commented tiredly. He leaned over and plopped his head on Sans's shoulder.

"right?" Sans agreed with a low chuckle.

He snatched the aspirin pills out of the air once the objects were within his reach and let the other things fall to the ground. He was too tired to return them to where he found them. For a moment, he struggled with the cap but eventually abruptly popped it open, spilling the pills. Edge chuckled and took a few that had fallen into the folds of his coat. For some reason, the gesture made Sans blush and suddenly, he was remembering bits of the night he had all but forgotten. He remembered collapsing onto the bed and Edge drunkenly joining him. He remembered shooing him off. He remembered being kissed—

"You look kind of blue." Edge commented, "Are you getting sick or something?"

"n-no." Sans stammered and he couldn't even look at the other. His heart was suddenly racing and he felt uncomfortable twists in his stomach area. "maybe…maybe a little…" He then hastily swallowed two aspirins.

"Well, don't throw up the aspirin pills." Edge said and swallowed two of them before resting his head back on Sans's shoulder.

The smaller skeleton stiffened. He was suddenly all too aware of Edge and how he was partially slumped on top of him. He could feel brief tingles of his breath tickling his bones and the littlest movements of his body against his own. And amidst this hyper realisation, his mind mercilessly replayed his memory of the drunken kiss they had shared. It obviously meant nothing, but it affected Sans all the same. He wasn't quite sure why and he wouldn't be convinced that it was because he _might_ be in love with the other.

"hey…um…edge?" Sans choked out after a moment. The other groaned in response, "do you remember…do you remember anything about last night…?"

"Hmm…not really." He mused and pushed himself off Sans. "It was fun, though."

"yeah…it was…" Sans smiled nervously and stared at his fidgeting hands.

"Do you?" Edge returned.

"d-do i what?" Sans stammered.

"Do you remember anything?" Edge asked.

Sans felt his face blush. It was only then that he began to consider that perhaps Edge had been right when he had said he wore himself on his sleeve. "n-not really." He lied. "i remember drinking a lot and having a good time, but that's about it."

"That's already more than me." Edge chuckled and tilted his head towards the ceiling. Another silence washed over them, but it was much shorter than the first one. "As much as it sucks, we need to get packing. We're leaving today."

"yeah, that's fine." Sans nodded vigorously.

"Take some pills and help me gather our stuff." Edge ordered as he pushed himself off the sofa. "We're going to pretend we're leaving by foot but as soon as the coast is clear, you're teleporting us home."

"sounds good."

Though he had been requested to help, Sans mostly just followed Edge around at a distance with the bags they had brought. He took the things he was handed and stuffed it inside. He was initially chastised for his carelessness, but Edge gave up somewhere in the middle of his schooling, likely too exhausted to really start up an argument over something so little. Sans was fortunate because he was already struggling with his wandering mind. It was difficult not to nervously think about the kiss and wonder if it had meant anything more. All logic pointed to no; Edge had been drunk and confused. He had said goodnight and kissed him. Maybe it was something he did with his own brother – something that wasn't unreasonable to believe considering Sans and Papyrus's own bedtime habits. With that said, they never did anything along the lines of goodnight kisses.

Being so lost in his thoughts, the smaller skeleton was hardly aware of when they had finished gathering all their things. The room was still a smelly mess but Edge assured him that the servants would clean up after them as they would for all the other guests the palace had hosted. Sans still felt a little bad about leaving the room in such shambles. He wasn't the cleanest person in the world, but he was sensible when he was in someone else's home. Nevertheless, he followed Edge out of the room and around the palace halls.

The other guests were also leaving and they seemed just as hungover as they were. It was a refreshing sight to behold and, for once, Sans didn't feel like he would be attracting any attention. Everyone was so focused on themselves that odds were they would leave the palace without anyone exchanging a word with them.

"Sans."

The skeleton in question tensed and turned to behold Alphys. Unlike the rest of the world, she seemed very sober and in great shape. She stood before them with her hands on her hips.

"Alphys. You're looking not hungover." Edge commented.

"Didn't have a drop to drink the other night." She said almost proudly, "I must have been the only one. Anyways, Sans."

"yeah?" He asked, trying to stop himself from nervously glancing at Edge.

"I had Mettaton pack the material you wanted while I was away." She informed very business-like. "You should be receiving them within the next few days."

"oh." Sans mumbled. He had almost forgotten about the MaWoIn machine. "thanks."

"What are you building?" Alphys demanded more than she asked.

Sans forced himself to remain calm and think of a rational lie. "nothing special." He shrugged, "some junk i found and figured i'd try to fix up."

"I want to see." Alphys commanded.

"No." Edge cut in before Sans could so much as register what the other had just said. "We're leaving now."

Edge grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him away. But neither had taken more than two steps before Alphys threatened: "Then I suppose you won't get the parts you requested."

"what?" Sans asked, turning around.

"You heard me." She stated, glaring at him. "I'm giving you the parts for free; the least you can do is show me what you're trying to 'fix'."

"Fine, we'll pay you if that's such an issue." Edge sighed, rolling his eyes. "How much?"

But Alphys didn't like that answer one bit. She looked absolutely furious and, for some reason, she decided that Sans was the proper recipient to her fury. She stomped over and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, smashing her forehead against his. "I swear to fucking god if you're trying to steal my god damn job I will fucking kill you!" She all but shouted.

"Alphys!" Edge barked and moved forward. However, he stopped when she pulled out a knife seemingly out of thin air.

"Don't you _fucking_ move!" She snarled dangerously.

"whoa, calm down!" Sans replied, raising his hands. "that's not what i'm doing—"

"Then what the fuck are you building something for!?" Alphys demanded, whipping back her attention to him, "That's _my_ job! Are you going to show it off to Asgore? Are you trying to state your claim as the royal scientist, you fucker!? This is a ploy to keep me from Undyne, isn't it—"

"alphys, that's not what i'm doing!" Sans interrupted and pulled himself out of her grasp. "i could care less about your position and believe me, the last thing i want to do is take it from you. i'm just…i don't know…"

"That's not good enough!" She snapped, shoving the knife in his face and squeezing him tighter.

"Alphys." Edge growled aggressively low. "Let him go."

It seemed that whatever Sans could say to reassure her would only be counterproductive. He supposed he had nothing left to do but to fight back. He doubted his alter ego would have waited so long anyhow. The smaller skeleton sighed deeply and readied himself. He manifested a magic blue bone and made sure Alphys saw it before he tossed it at her. She predictably stood still and evaded a blow – or so she thought.

"You're going to have to be faster than that you idio—" The scientist stopped when she felt her heart give a strange ping. When she glanced down, she found her soul was looming by her chest rather than hidden in her body. It turned blue and she darted her gaze up to Sans. "Wha—"

"you're blue now." He smiled and easily pushed her off. She growled in frustration and flailed but Sans picked her up and held her in the air where she couldn't do harm to anyone. Edge looked at them in awe.

"What the fuck!? Where did you learn this!?" She growled as she continued to fidget around. "Put me down!"

"i would but what guarantee do i have that you won't try to kill me?" Sans asked, stepping back to stand next to Edge.

"Papyrus! Control your fucking brother!" Alphys shrieked in anger.

Edge rolled his eyes and placed his hands on his hips, never uttering even a single sound. Alphys understood his silent answer and only screamed louder as her anger turned to boiling rage. Sans had a hard time feeling bad for her at this point. He _had_ tried to reason with her after all.

"i'm not trying to steal your job." Sans repeated and slowly lowered her on the floor. And though her feet were firmly on the ground, he maintained a relatively tight grip on her soul. "i just…i just wanted to fix something, that's all."

"What do you want to _fix_?" She hissed.

"some junk i found." Sans replied, "i don't really know what it is."

"Then let me _see_ it." Alphys demanded.

Sans sighed deeply. At this rate, their conversation would enter a circular pattern in which no progression would be made. He needed to think of a way to end this all the while guaranteeing his supply would come to Snowdin.

"how about i make a deal with you." Sans suggested, "if i run into a problem, i'll call you over. if not, i'll still show you whatever it is i fixed once it's done – or when i think it's done. aside from ed— _boss_ , you'll be the first to see it."

" _Only_ me and him." Alphys conditioned. "No one else."

"that's fine with me." Sans shrugged and released his grip on her soul. Despite how it was no longer blue, his magic still lingered on her and he could easily seize her once more if she tried anything. However, things seemed to be calming down.

"I'll kill you if you double-cross me." Alphys warned.

"Have a nice day, Alphys." Edge hissed. He placed a hand on Sans's shoulder and gently ushered him away.

The smaller skeleton noticed how his hand was glowing red with his magic, ready to react if Alphys tried to backstab them. Fortunately, she didn't. They made their way through the palace weary that the mad scientist would return on a whim and with the will to fight to the death. As much as Edge didn't think it was likely, he did admit that she was known to inexplicably act drastically and in opposition to her nature. This was further showcased when Undyne erupted from her room covered in blood and dust.

"Alphys I'll fucking kill you!" She shouted with magic spears blazing. Her agitated eyes fell upon them and she rushed over demanding: "Have you seen her!?"

"Yeah, not all that far from our room." Edge indicated and looked his friend over. "What happened?"

"You remember the two hot babes you helped me seduce?" She reminded, "Well she fucking _killed_ them while I was sleeping! I'm covered in their gross ass dust and blood! I don't even think I fucked them either because I was so drunk! What a waste!"

Sans was shocked by how she seemed so upset by not getting any sex rather than the lives of the women in question. Given how he had come to know the world, he should have been expecting a response of the like. However, he was very much still the skeleton he had been when he fallen into this universe. He hadn't stayed here long enough to have his morality warped significantly.

"You do that." Edge brushed off. "We're heading home."

"See you." She said, stomping in the direction Edge had previously mentioned.

They waited until she rounded the corner and, once she did, Edge quickly turned to him: "We can teleport now. Hurry." He ushered.

Sans nodded and took his hand. In the blink of an eye, they were back in Snowdin in the center of Edge's living room. The taller skeleton wobbled on his feet, nearly toppling over but catching himself in the nick of time. He seemed so relieved to be somewhere familiar where he didn't have to maintain his appearance or watch his behaviour. Sans would be a liar if he didn't admit to feeling the same way. Regardless, he waltzed to the leather sofa and threw himself on it face down.

"that was more exhausting than i thought it would be." Sans groaned.

"Tell me about it." Edge sighed. He made his way up the stairs and threw his bag into his room before making his way down again. "I might need a day's rest to recover."

"do my ears deceive me?" Sans smirked as he hoisted himself up on his forearms, "the mighty edgelord is going to _procrastinate_?"

"Shut up. It's _relaxing_." Edge frowned. He lifted Sans's feet and moved them aside as he took a seat on the sofa. The gesture prompted the latter to rearrange his position and sit up, taking far less space as a consequence.

"call it what you want, it's still procrastination." He maintained with a cheeky grin.

"You're hell bent on annoying me, aren't you?" Edge called out.

"annoying… _teasing_ …" Sans mulled.

"I'm literally going to ignore you now." Edge declared, fishing around for the TV remote.

Sans laughed and sat back against the armrest. It was good to be someplace he felt safe, though the palace hadn't been all bad. It was beautiful and an interesting experience to say the least. _also…_ Sans thought to himself as he replayed the hazy memory of the kiss. His stomach felt weird again and he wasn't sure why.

"There—" Edge exclaimed when he finally found the remote.

"hey, edge?" Sans asked while his heart thrummed nervously at the words that had yet to leave his mouth. "do you really…not remember anything? from last night, i mean."

Edge stared at him quietly for a beat, almost as though he was trying to read him but couldn't quite figure him out. If that was truly the case it must have been a first for him. "I remember a little more." He admitted. "I remember the women Undyne mentioned and the time we spent with them. A lot of it is still blurry, though. Do you?"

Sans hesitated for a moment. He wasn't sure whether to divulge the aspect of last night that had been plaguing his mind from the moment they relaxed on the sofa subsequent to their morning fiasco. In the end, what did he have to lose by speaking the truth?

"a-actually," Sans stammered with a shy laugh, "i, um…" He glanced away, unable to keep eye contact with the other as embarrassment washed over him. "i remember, when we were about to go to sleep, you came into my room – well, technically, your room, but we decided i got the bed that night. anyway, um, you were probably really drunk so it didn't mean anything but, um…" He trailed off a bit, chancing a look at Edge who seemed utterly confused by his beating around the bush. It flustered him all the more. "to be brief, you, uh, y-you kissed me goodnight and then left…"

Edge went from looking confused to stunned. Red dusted his otherwise pristine cheeks and he suddenly seemed nervous. "…Did I?" He mumbled.

"yeah, but like i said, you were drunk." Sans quickly added and he wasn't quite sure why he was still talking, "people do dumb things when they're drunk you know. they're not all there…so…"

"It didn't mean anything…" Edge mused pensively almost to himself. However, Sans was sure it was a statement addressed to him.

"i know, that's what i said—"

"Did you…Did you want it to mean anything?" Edge interrupted and held his gaze seriously.

"i…" He uttered dumbly.

He wasn't sure what to say and Edge wasn't giving him time to think. He tossed the remote away and scooted closer to Sans. There was something different in his eyes; something Sans almost wanted to call 'desire' though he didn't know what it really looked like and so he hesitated with the label. Nevertheless, his heart certainly gave a powerful tug at the slowly shrinking space between them.

"u-uh…"

"It seems like this was on your mind back at the palace." Edge said as he practically loomed above Sans, making him feel all the smaller. "And it's something you clearly didn't want to drop, otherwise why bring it up again? It's almost as though…you _want_ me to remember."

"uh…" Sans choked out because he was unable to think of even a single word to say. He wasn't even entirely sure what was going on.

"Well, Sans?" Edge asked, and there was something about his husky voice that sent shivers down Sans's spine. "Did you want it to mean something?"

"i…" Sans tried, but he didn't know what to say; what to think.

Did he really want it to mean something?

And before he could come up with an answer, his body suddenly moved on its own. He grabbed Edge by the scarf and pulled him into a harsh kiss. The strange tingles he had been feeling were amplified when the taller skeleton's hands were placed upon his body. He felt embarrassed with himself. Though Edge's hands only cupped his cheeks as he deepened the kiss, he moaned at his touch – he imagined where he would like them to go next. Fortunately, Edge seemed to be a bit of a mind reader.

His hands trailed down Sans's chest and boldly made their way between his legs. They fondled his pelvis through the fabric of his pants, eliciting a divine and hot pleasure. He broke their kiss to moan as he rocked his hips in Edge's hands. He had never been touched like this before and now that he was indulging into such a unique bliss, he never wanted it to stop – he wanted it to envelop him permanently instead.

"You've got a dirty look on your face." Edge breathed lowly. He pulled his hands away but only long enough to undo his pants and pull out his cock. Sans gasped at the sight of it. The ecto appendage was crimson red and impressively big. And though it daunted him, he wanted it all the same. "Take yours out too." Sans nodded absently and fumbled with his pants. He pushed them down and hastily focused his magic to conjure a cock. Edge emitted a low satisfied purr at the sight of it. "I want to touch you." He confessed with his voice hoarse and heavy from desire.

"i…i want you to touch me too…" Sans admitted as well. He never expected his first intimate moments to develop like this; though that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Edge moved closer and pushed his legs further open. Sans gasped and stared in pure awe, wondering if he had just consented to having sex. Instead, the taller skeleton pressed their cocks together and tightly enveloped a gloved hand around both of their lengths. Sans moaned at the tightness and Edge chuckled at him before kissing him once more. He then pressed their foreheads together and gave a small thrust. Sparks of pleasure erupted from the gesture and Sans quickly found that he sought for more. He canted his hips clumsily, begging Edge to repeat what he had done with his body and the latter complied without a single fuss.

Their members were rubbed together at what was initially a reasonable pace but quickly became punishing. Sans could hardly deal with the tightness of Edge's grip and the stimulation. He moaned loudly and whorishly, gripping at the other's scarf desperately as though it were some sort of anchor keeping him from losing himself. He had never felt so good before and he never wanted it to end. Unfortunately, the unfolding bliss reached its peak far too quickly for Sans who's vision was soon overcome by white as the tightened knots in his stomach area were released with a powerful ejaculation.

"That was fast." Edge commented with a smirk. He kissed Sans and released their cocks.

"s-shut up…it was my first time." He admitted as he caught his breath. It was then he noticed how he had been the only one to cum. "you haven't…you didn't—"

"Care to give me a hand?" Edge interrupted with a coy smile.

"was that really a pun?" Sans laughed. He could never resist a good or unexpected pun.

"Maybe." Edge leaned in and gave him a lingering kiss.

Sans leaned into it, drinking in the sensation. He didn't know what was going on with him. He had never felt this way about Edge but it seemed like a dam he hadn't known existed just burst. It was entirely possible that he had been oblivious to his own emotions. However, for once, he decided not to think too much about it. He enjoyed the kissing and the other intimate things in which they had indulged and he would keep it at that for the moment. He would try finding the meaning to everything later. Now, he wrapped his hands around Edge's impressive girth and pumped as they continued to kiss.

The taller skeleton moaned into his mouth and conjured an ecto tongue to deepen the kiss. Sans responded in kind and was quickly pulled over Edge, who had opted to lay down, all the while continuing his ministrations uninterrupted. Their new position made his movements a bit more challenging, but it soon became a back thought as the kissing and the subtle sounds the other made took over Sans's mind. He wanted so much more from this.

"Fuck…" Edge chuckled, breaking their kiss only briefly. "You're going to make me cum at this rate."

Unsure how to respond, Sans simply pressed their mouths together once more and quickened his pace. It took about several more pumps before Edge groaned and climaxed. Off-white substance covered Sans's hands and he wondered if he should lick it. In the few porn videos he had watched, it seemed like a given thing to do. However, he was far too embarrassed with himself to dare it and so wiped the cum on his jacket. He would clean it later.

They steadily came down from their sex high and Sans laid against Edge stiffly. He couldn't help but obsess over how he had never done something of the like before and worry if what he was doing was okay. Edge certainly didn't seem to mind though. He wrapped an arm around his waist and rubbed his side softly with his thumb. For a moment, they were shrouded in what felt like a tense silence for Sans.

"So…" Edge said, tearing through the veil of muteness, "…you're a virgin?"


	12. Butterflies

Sans didn't quite understand his feelings regarding the new evolution in his relationship with Edge. For one thing, he had never delved into such intimacy with another monster before as, contrary to what most would believe, he wasn't particularly social. He only had one friend: Grillby. He was a widower and probably would be for life. All the others with whom he spoke were just that – a conversation, one that was pleasant in the moment but would soon be irrelevant. If he had to label them anything, they would be acquaintances, but 'friend' was a word he would only ever attribute to Grillby. Then again, hadn't he extended the tag to Edge until after the ball? Regardless, there had never been anyone in Sans's life back home with whom he could have done such things, not that he had ever wanted to either. What had happened with Edge only a few days ago was thus puzzling. Very puzzling.

The smaller skeleton hadn't been feeling any urges. He hadn't even masturbated once since he had fallen into a new universe and that hadn't seemed to be a problem. What's more was that even after the first drunken kiss, he hadn't felt anything other than confusion. And yet, when Edge had loomed over him and had uttered suggestive things, he had lost all control. He had never felt the need to be intimate with another but in that moment it had been something akin to a dire need. Touching Edge and being kissed by him had seemingly rejuvenated him; filled him with energy he didn't know he had been lacking. It was strange.

But what did it all mean?

"mmm…" Sans uttered lowly and scrunched his face in thought. This was all so confusing.

He certainly felt different around the other skeleton now. The sexual urges he hadn't felt since his arrival had reappeared but were directed at the thought of being touched and kissed again. He had tried masturbating a few days ago to help alleviate his desires, but it hardly compared to what Edge could and would do to him. Often times, Sans would now find himself staring absently at the taller skeleton while his mind ran off to naughty make-pretends. He was always flustered by said realisations whereas the other ever so observant skeleton only seemed amused.

Was this love?

The only kind of love Sans had ever felt before was for his brother and his friend. He had never been interested in exploring a romantic sort of love and so his notion on the matter was very limited. He knew that when one was indeed in love, it was almost a spontaneous realisation. Hardly anyone knew they were falling in love until it happened. Had it happened for him with Edge? He couldn't know for certain. Sans had been feeling a plethora of things he had never felt before; was one of these things love? If so, which? Was it the strange knots he felt in his stomach area? Was it the light headedness that occasionally disoriented him? Was it the strange pitter-patter of his soul? Was it the feeling of embarrassment whenever he caught himself thinking perverted things? Or was it all of the aforementioned? Did knowing what it was even matter?

Sans had to stop himself from falling down any further into a seemingly endless spiral of questions. He didn't understand love or the concept behind intimacy with another, that much was a given. He had to regain himself and continue thinking rationally as difficult as it was. It was the only way to go about understanding what was going on with himself. And so he shook his head and cleaned his mental slate to start his thought process over from scratch. With a more composed mind, he began anew:

During the end of their stay at the palace in New Home, Sans was drunkenly kissed by Edge.

The day after, they were intimate with one another for the first time.

It was nice.

Sans began to question the nature of their relationship.

Why?

His feelings towards Edge had changed.

How?

That wasn't important yet.

Sans took a deep, shaky breath. He halted the questions and decided to review what he had established in his mind in favour of keeping his current sense of rationality. Many aspects of what was listed were comparable to the romance stories he often read to Papyrus for his bedtime stories. He felt that he was indeed in the role of the protagonist who was steadily falling or already in love. Despite not knowing how love felt, he wondered if he was in love. From an outsider's perspective, the answer seemed to be yes. However, it felt a little off the mark when a personal perspective was consiered. The more he deliberated it, the more Sans felt like 'love' didn't quantify how he felt in this very moment towards Edge. It was perhaps something that was teetering to it, but wasn't quite there yet. With that said, he didn't know what to call it.

 _nuanced._ He settled with. _i feel nuanced._

The smaller skeleton nodded to himself and threw his arms up, gripping the back of the couch. There was something there that was probably romantic and that aspect brought about a ton of new issues. For instances, was what he was doing with Edge considered incest? Sans could see it from both sides and didn't know on which to settle. On one hand, Edge was the alternate version of his brother. On the other, Edge was his own separate monster with his own separate brother. He existed independently from Papyrus in the same way that Papyrus existed independently from him. Furthermore, he only ever viewed his Papyrus as a brother and nothing more. The idea of doing anything sexual with him repulsed him and made him cringe. It felt wrong to even consider. However, when he measured those same things in regards to Edge, he felt differently about them and he couldn't exactly tell why. Was it because he felt that Edge fundamentally wasn't his brother or did it have more to do with how he didn't look like Papyrus?

"guh!" Sans groaned and flinched. He supposed he oughtn't be thinking about such things during a blowjob.

He sat on the couch, gripping the backrest from over his head while Edge bobbed his head as he mercilessly sucked on the ecto cock he had been coaxed into summoning. The pleasure was intense and addicting. It took little to rip him from his thoughts and make him focus on the bliss that was reverberating through his bones. Sans mostly kept his eyes shut as the pleasure was nearly too intense to bear, but every now and again he would manage to catch a glimpse of Edge between his legs. Whenever he did, he would find him staring back with a smugly satisfied look in his eyes.

" _a-ahhn!_ " He gasped as another spark of ecstasy burned through him almost savagely.

"You make the cutest sounds." Edge chuckled, only briefly removing his mouth from his cock. Sans was so dazed by the pleasure he hardly noticed. For all he knew in the moment, the other skeleton had mastered the art of talking with his mouth full.

"f…feels good—" Sans moaned, arching his back. He wanted to thrust into the wet warmness that enveloped him so badly, but he didn't feel like Edge would like that.

"You're holding out pretty well for a virgin." Edge teased, releasing Sans's cock for much longer. He took it in his hands and inspected the tip which was bubbling thickly with precum. "Looks like you're about to burst, though."

Sans lowered his arms and cover his face to hide his blush. "do you have to say such dirty things?" He mumbled in embarrassment.

"No." Edge grinned, "But your reactions are compelling."

He swallowed his cock again causing Sans to gasp. This time he began thrusting and taking more of it deep into his throat while making a more active use of his tongue. The smaller skeleton's eyes fluttered shut as moans poured from his mouth uncontrollably. If Edge was relentless before, he was punishing now. All of his movements seemed to be motivated by the will to make him cum. At the rate he was going, there was no way Sans would resist. The coils of lust looming around his pelvis were tightening quickly and resisting the urge to thrust into Edge's mouth was getting increasingly difficult. His mind was fogged with the desire for more – with the desperate need to be thoroughly drowned in ecstasy and never hope to re-emerge to the surface.

"o-oh god!" He whined between heavy erratic breaths, "i-i'm going to—"

But Sans interrupted himself with a final cry as his hips stuttered harshly while he came into Edge's mouth. The latter didn't seem to be as taken by surprise as Sans had. He took all the liquid in his mouth and swallowed it without hesitation. Sans was so exhausted by his ejaculation he hadn't realised he had done so until Edge released his member and got up from the ground, wiping away a bit of excess which had dribbled down his chin.

"did you—!?" He exclaimed as his cheeks darkened. He had naively thought it was something only porn stars did.

"Yes." Edge confirmed, planting both of his hands on either side of Sans's head and leaning in. "Tasted sweet, like blueberries."

Sans felt his mouth fall open. He was sure his face was completely blue if it wasn't already. "r…really?"

"No!" Edge guffawed abruptly. "It's _cum_! Why would it taste like blueberries?"

Sans frowned and shoved the other's face away to lay down and sulk. "shut up, i'm new to this." He mumbled.

"Yeah, don't know why you haven't been ravaged by anyone back in your world." Edge commented as he took a seat next to Sans. He placed one of his hands on his femurs and the smaller skeleton shivered slightly. He should have been exhausted and still recovering from his climax, but he always craved more with Edge. "I bet you've got plenty of admirers but haven't noticed."

"doubt that." Sans snorted, acutely aware as to how the other's hand was slowly moving closer to his pelvis. "i only ever spoke with, like, two people."

"Hmm…" Edge hummed and the low sound of his voice almost made Sans moan in response. He couldn't believe how horny he was again after so little time. "I bet that made them jealous." Sans rolled onto his back with his head against the armrest while Edge crawled over him. He was utterly seduced by the look of desire in the other's eyes. "I bet they also dreamed about touching you…" His hand trailed up Sans's femur and to its underside to guide his legs apart, "To push your legs apart like this…" Edge moved in and pressed the tent in his pants against Sans's clothed pelvis, "And fuck you silly."

Sans stared down in between them with half-lidded eyes. He could almost perfectly feel the outline of Edge's large cock against him. He had half a mind to conjure an organ with which he could be fucked. It was almost incredible he was still a virgin considering the unfolding situation wasn't out of the norm established during the past few days. Though, Sans didn't know why it had taken them so long to get to this point.

"…Can I?" Edge asked after a sexually charged and tense pause.

"c-an you what…?" Sans stammered, taken aback by the unexpected question.

"Can I fuck you?" Edge asked, palming his cock through his clothes.

Every thought in Sans's mind was screaming at him to respond with 'yes, dear god yes'. If he were honest with himself, it was probably the first thing he had ever wanted to do with Edge since the initial mutual masturbation session. Heck, maybe even then he would have preferred to be fucked rather than toyed with. He _did_ vaguely remember wondering if they had been about to screw. Nevertheless, he had greatly desired sex these past few days and now that it was being offered, he should have jumped at the opportunity. Currently, there was nothing more he wanted then to be fucked mercilessly by Edge. He wanted to take all of his cock inside his cunt, whichever kind he chose to conjure, and be filled with his cum over and over again until he passed out.

"u-uh…" Sans croaked, "sh…shouldn't there be a more romantic set up to this…?"

Edge frowned in confusion. It had obviously not been the kind of response he had expected. "What do you mean?"

He moved back to allow Sans the chance to sit up, which he did. "i…i mean," He continued, clearing his throat nervously, "u-usually, people do something romantic before…you know…w-well, at least, that's how it is back home…"

Edge frowned further, "You…do you want me to take you out on a date?" He asked uncertainly.

Sans blushed at the idea. It sounded very appealing once spoken. "i mean…not necessarily, but—"

"I don't mind taking you out on a date, Sans." Edge smiled comfortingly. "I just…maybe I wouldn't take you _out_ per se…it's not something we generally do here so you'd have to settle for a nice dinner."

"w-we don't have to…" He quickly added upon hearing it was an unusual thing to do. He didn't want to suggest something that was considered ridiculous. Now that he thought of it, he wasn't sure why he was suggesting anything of the like. He was offered sex and now he was squandering his opportunity.

"If you want to, I want to." Edge stated firmly. "And for all of your firsts, this would be mine. I've never been on a date before. I've just fucked plenty of monsters."

Sans brightened upon hearing that. "in that case, okay." He agreed and he was surprised when Edge reacted enthusiastically, almost as though he was fonder of the idea than he. It prompted another question he had been wondering about for a while; "edge?"

"Yes?" He replied.

"what…what are your intentions?" Sans asked and he felt all the more embarrassed with himself, partially because of his phrasing. He sounded like a parent who doubted the sincerity of their child's romantic partner. "towards me, i mean…"

"Well, I'm taking you out on a date, aren't I?" He responded with a gentle smile. "Doesn't that speak for itself?"

"i guess it does." Sans smiled and looked away. He felt the strange tingles in his stomach area again. Love? "what are you going to make me?"

"I don't know, I have to think of an excellent menu!" Edge exclaimed hopping off the sofa with an excited little bounce. "And even if I did, I want it to be a surprise. By the way, how does tomorrow night sound?"

"great, but u-uh—" Sans stammered just before Edge was about to dart off into his office. "what about your…?" He trailed, pointing his finger at Edge's erection.

Edge followed his finger with his eyes and darted his gaze back up with a scoff upon catching a glimpse of the tent in his pants. "My boner can wait, Sans!" He stated almost proudly, "I have more important things to take care of!"

Sans scoffed and rolled his eyes as the other stalked away. He pressed his hand against his stomach area over the strange tingles. Love? He smiled and shook his head. No. Butterflies.


	13. Date Night

Edge had all but kicked Sans out of the house come the following morning. Apparently, his date night preparations were scheduled to take all day and, seeing as it was meant to be a surprise, the smaller skeleton was forbidden from setting foot back into the house until he was given permission. It was adorable how the other was so dedicated to their date. He was so excited Sans wondered if there was something wrong with him as his enthusiasm, though present, was hardly comparable to Edge's. He chalked it off to their personality types.

Forbidden from entering the house, Sans made his way into the secret laboratory vowing to spend all of his time working diligently on the MaWoIn machine. The equipment he had ordered had arrived a few days ago, but he had done little more than move them into his working space in favour of indulging Edge in his desires. Now that he finally had time for himself, Sans reckoned he would use it to get one step closer to returning home. He began by opening each box and sorting them as Alphys had unhelpfully mixed everything together likely out of spite. Once that was done, the next step was tackling the MaWoIn machine.

The smaller skeleton began by comparing certain materials to the broken version he had stripped weeks earlier before reviewing the blueprint. Slowly but surely, he began assembling pieces, beginning with the wires and electrical circulation. It was initially difficult, but the more he pushed on, the more he found he was falling into a productive pace. He was so enthralled in his work that he hardly took notice of the passing time and, by the time Edge came to fetch him, he had gotten more done than he thought he would. A fourth of the wiring worked seemed to be done though some of it would later require some minor or major readjustments.

"You look like a mess." Edge commented as he picked himself up from the ground and dusted himself off. In addition to the dust, Sans's clothes were stained with oil and sweat.

Sans looked him over in return and smirked. "i could say the same to you." He replied with a chuckle. Edge was covered in flour among various other food items that had splattered onto him in the midst of his cooking extravaganza.

"Admittedly, we could both use a bit of cleaning." Edge conceded. He walked over and picked up Sans much to the latter's surprise. "Well? Teleport us in."

"you're not going to carry me inside?" Sans asked.

"I don't want you sneaking a peak just yet." Edge replied with a tender smile. "But if it means so much to you, I can carry you to the bathroom or to your room _once_ you teleport us inside."

"seems like a solid compromise." Sans nodded.

He teleported them at the top of the stairs. Immediately, his senses were overwhelmed by delicious aromas that had his stomach growl in want, reminding him how he had skipped lunch. Edge chuckled and reiterated that he had to be clean before they ate as he brought him to his room. He set him down with a quick kiss by his door. Sans's heart fluttered at the contact and he had to stop himself from reaching for more. There would always be time for necking later.

Sans shut the door and stripped himself of his dirty clothes, fishing through his alter ego's furniture for a clean shirt and pair of pants. He then pulled on his blue coat which he had had the sense to remove before getting to work and subsequently emerged from his room. Somehow, Edge was already changed and waiting for him by the stairs. In little time he had managed to rid himself of his dirty armour and pull on a suit that made Sans feel severely underdressed. He wore a black suit with a burgundy dress shirt beneath – the opposite of his ball clothes in terms of colour minus the neck-wear.

"sh…should i have looked for a suit?" Sans stammered, embarrassed with himself. Their dinner was still a date despite it taking place in their house. He should have known better than to dress so casually. The last thing he wanted was to give the impression that he didn't care.

Edge chuckled, "You're fine." He reassured, "And, like I said, my brother doesn't dress up for anyone."

"i feel underdressed." Sans confessed, glancing down at his feet.

"You're fine." Edge repeated and strolled over. He took Sans by his hands and leaned down to kiss him briefly. "I guess I'm just overdressed." He took off his black vest and draped it over the handrail then he rolled up his sleeves and unbuttoned his collar. "There. Do I look more casual now?"

"you…you look handsome." Sans muttered timidly.

Edge blushed at the compliment and quickly became flustered. It was quite amusing to watch him stumble over his words looking for something to say in return. "L-let's just hurry down before my food gets cold." He settled with and offered his hand to Sans.

Sans snickered and took it. He was guided down the stairs and to the kitchen where he was met with an incredible sight. Edge had truly gone out. A steaming loaf of bread was set on the table alongside gorgeous plates and cutlery that seemed far too fancy and special for a date. On the counters were what seemed to be three _amuse-bouche_ : devilled eggs, salmon tartar, and bruschetta along with the main course which was lobster. And, as an added touch, everything was bathed in flower petals. When the smaller skeleton managed to tear his eyes away from the set up to look at Edge, he found him nervously scratching his head and aggressively staring at the ceiling. He seemed to be afraid of any sort of negative reaction.

"edge." Sans said. The other hesitated to look his way, almost fearful to behold his response. It was as adorable as it was puzzling that he could truly believe Sans would not like what he had prepared. "this looks incredible."

"You don't think it was…too much?" Edge asked nervously.

"nah," Sans smiled, "it's really cheesy though."

Edge looked relieved and then mortified until a laugh left his mouth and he deflated. He had probably just come to the realisation he had been a little too tense for something that was intended to be fun and relaxing. Sans was glad for that.

"Sit down and behold my day's worth of labour." Edge huffed and pushed him towards the chair.

"not going to pull my chair?" Sans teased.

"I'm going to trust you're mentally strong enough to do that yourself." Edge responded with an amused tone.

"chivalry's dead." Sans laughed as he took a seat. Edge laughed as well and returned to the table carrying the three amuse-bouche he had prepared. He served Sans first before dressing his plate and casting the dishes into the sink. "so did you prepare all of this yourself?"

"Of course." Edge proudly affirmed, seating himself across Sans.

"even the bread?" Sans asked in astonishment. He knew Edge was an accomplished cook, but he had truly underestimated his overall skill. Preparing the feast he had made on his own from scratch was a lot of work and yet he had done so in a day.

"Even the bread." Edge confirmed.

"whoa…" Sans blew beneath his breath.

For a moment, they sat awkwardly facing one another but never meeting each other's gazes. A wave of anxiety had washed over them and all they could consequently do was stare intently at the food Edge had prepared.

"Um…" Edge uttered, clearing his throat. "Let's dig in."

"yeah, sure." Sans nodded in agreement. He then glanced at his empty glass. "are we…going to drink anything with—"

But he hardly managed to finish when Edge jumped out of his seat energetically, screeching: "I forgot the wine!" He ran to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of white wine which he hastily opened and served. "I knew I was forgetting something!"

"it's alright." Sans chuckled. "i'm sure your meal would have been just as delicious without a drink."

"True." Edge conceded, "But the white wine will enhance the experience. The flavours of this one meld very well with vegetables and seafood."

"geez, you're a wine connoisseur too?" Sans said.

"All excellent chefs are." Edge stated with a smug smile. "Though we tend to use alcohol to drown out our problems or to have a good time, it can be used to enhance the flavours of the food we consume or unlock new sides of it."

"i'll take your word for it." Sans simply said and gently stirred the clear liquid in his glass. "i've never had such a fancy dinner before. the palace doesn't count because the food was beyond bizarre."

"I did notice you weren't fond of most things." Edge nodded, "I hope what we have here is to your liking."

"they're all things we have back home, some of which, however, i've never tasted." Sans conveyed. He grabbed his fork and took a bit of the salmon tartar, noticing how Edge was staring at him intently from the corner of his eye. He was probably anxious to see whether Sans would enjoy what he made. He tried not to be too daunted by this and took a bite. "this…this is incredible—" was the least he could utter. In truth, it was far more than incredible but words were escaping Sans. He had been starving and the food he was currently devouring was cooked to perfection. A part of him wanted to scarf it all down, but it would hardly do justice to this experience Edge had cooked up. The tartar was smooth and buttery with the prominent and fresh flavour of salmon.

Edge smiled happily and began to eat his own portion rather than convey his gratefulness.

The next thing Sans ate were the devilled eggs. Keeping in the theme of seafood, the egg yellows were mixed with crab meat and shallots. It was creamy and beyond delicious. The savours were subtle yet delectable. They didn't linger too long in a way that was invasive to the remainder of the food. On that note, Sans finished with the bruschetta, something he enjoyed within reason back home. These ones, however, affected him like drugs would enthrall an addict. The herbs, the freshness of the tomatoes and the smoothness of the bread were divine – so much so he was genuinely upset when there was none left.

"Do you want some bread?" Edge offered grabbing the bread knife he had set next to the loaf.

"absolutely." Sans eagerly replied.

"I'm glad to see you're enjoying the food I've made for you." Edge said, cutting a slice and handing it to Sans. "Hopefully, you've still got room for the clam and desert."

"you've made clams too?" Sans exclaimed. "you're testing my stomach and, let me tell you, it will win."

Edge chuckled and took their dirty plates to replace them with clean ones. He returned with the lobster and set one on Sans's plate and then the other on his own. He grabbed garlic butter and set it on the table and resuming his seat. The smaller skeleton glanced around the kitchen curiously for the clams Edge had neglected to bring. Had he also forgotten them as he had forgotten the wine?

"where are the clams?" Sans asked.

Edge grimaced at him. "Right in front of you…?"

Sans looked at the lobsters and frowned to his turn. "you mean the lobster?"

"No, I mean the _clam_." Edge insisted.

"a clam is like a small shell-thing with pink goop inside." Sans maintained and grabbed the lobster. " _this_ is a lobster."

"No," Edge countered and gestured the lobster, "This is a clam. What you're describing as a clam is actually a lobster."

Sans stared at him quietly for a moment. "are you messing with me or are you serious?" He asked.

"I'm serious." Edge said.

"well, in my world, this is a lobster." Sans settled with and ripped off the lobster claw.

"Sometimes your world seems so bizarre." Edge sighed, imitating Sans.

"sometimes _your_ world seems so bizarre." Sans retorted with a smirk. "and violent."

"Do you still eat clams with your mouth or do you consume them through your sockets?" Edge returned with a childish sneer.

"nope, we smother them over our bones like so," Sans responded in kind as he rubbed the lobster claw over his face and arms, "eventually it disintegrates and gets absorbed into our stomachs. You know, the normal way to eat things."

Edge laughed and rolled his eyes. They continued to jest in such a fashion as they ate the 'clams' which were very tender and flavourful. It made for bizarre conversation that was still a lot of fun. Through this banter, Sans got a better idea of what the taller skeleton thought was funny. He was amused to find that over the top and wildly exaggerated descriptions along with illogical conclusions were what he favoured above all. Sans really enjoyed the other's laugh when he found something was truly funny.

By the time they finished eating, Sans felt just about ready to burst and he hoped that desert would be significantly light otherwise his stomach might not triumph as he thought it would. "last but not least…" Sans said, hugging his stomach and following Edge around the kitchen with his gaze.

The taller skeleton fished through the cabinets for dessert plates and then pulled out a bottle of red wine meant to enrich the flavours of the final meal. The grand reveal was made after a final trip to the refrigerator from which Edge summoned an incredible fruit cake. He set it in the center of the table and cut a generous slice which he served to Sans, reserving a smaller piece for himself.

"whoa, this looks delicious." Sans complimented.

"I hope it does. It was an absolute hassle to make." Edge sighed and sat back down, "I fought with the dough for the better part of the day just to get it perfect."

"you didn't have to go through so much trouble for me." Sans said bashfully. "i would have been perfectly happy with a pizza and beer."

"It wasn't any trouble." Edge assured, "It was my pleasure to do this for you."

Sans smiled and looked down at his plate as a blush manifested on his cheeks. As arrogant and rude as Edge could be, he was sometimes far too sweet.

He picked up his fork and took a small piece of the fruitcake along with a strawberry slice. Edge watched him intently with a smirk and eventually said; "I added a secret ingredient, see if you can tell what it is."

Sans nodded and took a bite. He chewed the surprisingly crunchy piece and reflected on the flavours. The custard was absolutely delicious and prominently featured vanilla just like the crust. And yet, there was a sweet yet almost bitter flavour for which vanilla could not account. What was it? He swallowed the bite and mused, but nothing came to mind. After a moment, he decided to scoop the custard aside to see if it was hiding the ingredient.

"Gah! You cheater!" Edge schooled immediately.

"i don't know what it is." Sans laughed.

"It's white chocolate." Edge revealed with a pout. Sure enough, the custard revealed a thin layer of white chocolate caked over the vanilla breading. "You were supposed to guess."

"i don't have what you would call a refined palette." Sans snickered and took another bite, "it's really incredible though. the white chocolate has a wild impact."

"It does." Edge nodded and toyed with his slice. For a moment, Sans was under the impression he was still upset over his cheating when he suddenly added: "You know…in this world white chocolate is a natural aphrodisiac."

Sans paused mid-chew and glanced up at Edge. The look in his eyes stole his breath away. "…yeah?" He asked just after swallowing thickly. As delicious as the dessert was, his appetite was rapidly shifting to something else. "in my world...strawberries do the job nicely." He then took one from his slice and ate it slowly. There was something both intimidating and arousing about how Edge's stare was so focused on him.

"Sans…" Edge uttered lowly, sending shivers up the other's spine. "Aren't you…tired of eating?"

Sans lowered his fork and scooped some of the custard with his index. "why do you ask?" He returned and popped his finger in his mouth, licking the substance sensually. He hoped he looked sexy and not ridiculous.

Edge's mouth fell slightly agape. "I-I want to put your mouth to better uses." He stammered, seemingly disoriented by the other's flirty gesture.

Sans felt his cheeks darken as jolts of arousal shot down to his pelvis. He swallowed thickly and nodded, slowly moving out of his chair and towards Edge. The latter made a move to rise as well, but the smaller skeleton pushed him back down and climbed onto his lap. Sans draped his arms around Edge's shoulders and leaned in to kiss him, teleporting them into his room while doing so. They fell back onto the bare mattress and, as soon as they did, Edge suddenly got more active. His hands began hungrily and desperately feeling him, tugging at his clothes ravenously. He pulled off his shirt and threw it aside quickly while Sans reached for his dress shirt and tore it open leaving Edge to shrug it off. In mere seconds they were both naked and their positions had shifted. Sans was now laying on his back with his legs parted to make room for the other skeleton who loomed above and kissed him heatedly.

"Is…" Edge breathed, breaking their kiss, "Is this moving too fast…?"

"wh…what?" Sans asked. His mind was blurred with lust and desire.

"Is having sex right now," Edge reiterated slowly, "moving too fast for you? Would you rather wait?"

Sans stared at him, dumbfounded. The question seemed to have come out of nowhere, but it brought a smile to his face all the same. He snickered and pulled Edge down for a quick kiss. "wait for what? for your underground to unfreeze?" He teased. "honestly…i've wanted this for a while…"

"So have I…" Edge admitted bashfully.

"then…" Sans said but stopped himself as he was overcome with a wave of embarrassment in regards to what he had been about to say. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath; hopefully, he wouldn't sound as silly as he was afraid he would. "then…f-fuck me."

Edge's mouth fell open, but Sans was too embarrassed to take a longer look at him to see what expression paved his features – not that he would have necessarily had the chance as he was quickly pulled into a rough kiss. Their teeth clanked together and their ecto tongues were pressed against one another harshly but in a pleasurable fashion. The smaller skeleton was finding that there was something strangely arousing about being handled so roughly.

The kiss was abruptly broken when Sans gasped a moan at the unexpected sensation of Edge's hands on his pelvis. He was kneading his fingers into the sensitive bone near his pubis and ischium relentlessly, sparking bursts of pleasure that exploded through his body and stirred his magic. The stimulation eventually yielded into the manifestation of Sans's ecto cock and a hole for Edge to fuck. When he glanced down at the space between them, he found the taller skeleton had already summoned his ecto cock. The red organ pulsed and leaked precum unashamedly. Sans would be a liar if he claimed to not be daunted by its size, especially when the hole he had made was taken into account. Part of him was certain that his pelvic inlet wouldn't be large enough to take the other's dick. Nevertheless, he wanted it. He wanted it so desperately.

"edge…" He moaned, parting his legs all the more and canting his hips.

"If I get too rough, stop me." Edge whispered against his neck before kissing it.

"edge, just fuck me." Sans demanded breathlessly. "this wait is going to kill me…"

The latter felt him smirk, but it was soon the farthest thing from his mind as Edge reached in between his legs to grab his cock. Sans watched with bated breaths as the tip was pressed against his hole and rubbed into the conjured flesh tauntingly.

"You've got such a dirty mouth on you, Sans…" Edge teased as he pushed his prick against the tight hole, but never enough to breach it. "Makes me so hard to hear you spew such filthy things…"

"edge… _god!_ " Sans whined in impatience.

"Beg me to fuck you." He ordered.

"was i just joking before?" Sans fired back, thoroughly annoyed. "why are you toying with me like this?"

"Indulge me." Edge requested. "I want to know how it feels to be so desperate to lose your virginity."

"i-it's not that as much as i want to feel your cock inside me…" Sans stammered and glanced away when the other pulled back to look at his face. He couldn't believe he was actually giving into something he never thought he would do when he had sex. There was nothing he found arousing about dirty talk – or so he initially thought. "it looks so big…" He continued shyly, "it feels so big… _god, edge_ …i just want to feel it stretch me thin…plowing into me, filling me…i need it so much…"

"You're so adorable…" Edge breathed, "Seeing you this horny and desperate for my cock…I could get off to just this." However, as soon as he said so, he began pushing the tip of his prick inside of Sans slowly. He whined and shut his eyes. The feeling of being penetrated was strange, but for as unusual as it was, it was equally addicting. It didn't quite feel like he imagined it would, partly because Edge's dick was so ludicrously big, though that wasn't a bad thing. It didn't stop him from wanting more. "Mm… _Sans_ …" Edge groaned, "You look so damn hot!"

"s-so big—" He stammered but then gasped as he felt he had taken all of the head of Edge's dick. He paused only briefly before continuing to push in. Sans whined and thrashed his head slightly as he felt his hole continue to be stretched as he took in the bulk of Edge's length. The space in his pelvic inlet was quickly growing small and Sans shuddered and cried out when it was all but gone and Edge had to force the rest of his cock in. " _a-ahn!_ e-edge!"

"So…sorry, did I hurt you?" Edge asked, evidently dazed by the pleasurable tightness he felt around his girth.

Sans shook his head. He had honestly thought it would but, instead, it almost made him orgasm. The pressure he felt around his entire pelvic bone was pure pulsing bliss. "feels really good…" He moaned and gripped the bedsheets to keep from reaching for his cock and stroking it to completion. They hadn't even started fucking yet; all the taller skeleton had done was put his dick in him and despite just that, he was about ready to burst. "are…are you all in?"

"Yeah." Edge nodded, "Can I start moving?"

"p-please do…" Sans stuttered.

He held his breath as the other steadily began to pull out. The sensation was very different to how it had initially felt to be penetrated with added detectable pleasure. And just before Edge's tip was out of Sans's hole, he pushed back in with a sharp thrust that had him gasping and seeing stars. He gripped the bedsheets tighter as the gesture was repeated, gradually getting faster every time. And just when Edge seemed to fall into a pace he enjoyed, Sans came hard and untouched surprising the both of them.

"That didn't take long." Edge remarked more than joked.

" _haa_ …don't…don't stop, edge." Sans begged, "i want to keep going…"

Edge smirked, "Good, because I didn't want to stop just yet."

He continued to thrust though mindfully slowed his pace to give Sans a chance to recover from his recent ejaculation. Fortunately, it didn't take too long. Soon enough, he could feel his dick begin to harden again and the bursts of bliss that coursed through his body suddenly weren't so overwhelming. He was quickly back to thrashing and crying out his pleasure as Edge fucked him hard into the mattress. His mind was overcome by lust and pleasure but, somehow, he found the way to wonder whether his alter ego would mind that they were having sex on his bed. He supposed he would, but hoped he would get over it. Then again, it wasn't like he ever needed to know either.

"You're doing so good, Sans…" Edge cooed between groans and grunts. "You're so hot, so damn sexy!"

"feels good! _mm_! feels so _good_ , edge—" Sans moaned.

"Want to cum inside you." He growled, suddenly plowing into the smaller skeleton much harder. "Want to fill you up just right…"

"yes! _god yes!_ " Sans cried out, throwing his arms around the other's shoulders, "cum inside me! i want it – i _need_ it!"

Sans then came for the second time with another howl of ecstasy. The abrupt tightness around Edge's length made him cum as well several short thrusts later. Sans whined and shuddered at the sensation of warm cum being spilled inside him. Edge pulled out and collapsed next to him, breathing rapidly as he recovered from his orgasm. For a moment, they laid next to one another staring at the ceiling and revelling in the afterglow.

"that was incredible…" Sans breathed and turned onto his side to lay his head on the other's chest.

"That was better than incredible…" Edge returned and draped his arms around Sans, pulling him into something like a hug. "You were so good…"

Sans chuckled and pushed himself onto Edge, emboldened by their sex, and propped his chin onto his collar bone. He smiled cheekily at him before sitting up, straddling the other skeleton. Edge released the grip he had had around him and gave him a curious look.

"come on, now." Sans purred and reached behind him to stroke Edge's limp girth, "did you really think it would be one and done?"

Edge blinked in surprise but then smile smugly. "Didn't know that taking your virginity away would turn you into a cockslut." He teased.

"should have known better." Sans grinned in return.

"I've just got one condition then," Edge declared, placing his hands on Sans's hips, "I want you to call me 'boss'."


	14. Love Within Despair

Sex with Edge usually began as a tender and loving affair but then escalated to something desperate and lustful. However, it always returned to tenderness once they finished and rested in a tangled, sweaty embrace. Edge would stroke his back and plant kisses on whatever part of Sans was closest to his mouth, usually his head or shoulders, and every now and again a soft "I love you" would then be whispered. It was these 'the calm after the storm' moments Sans loved the most; when they rested in the afterglow of sex, allowing the lust to fade into love – a love that was more intense and powerful than the one that preceded sex.

Sex with Edge was as wonderful and addicting as it was despairing. The other skeleton was tender in his affection but roughly passionate at the same time. He had a way of touching Sans that conveyed his infatuation and mesmerisation with him – sentiments that manifested those gooey and butterfly feelings in his heart and stomach. However, when they had sex, Edge's tenderness was always quickly muffled and suffocated by the pleasure and bliss he elicited. In those moments, his touch was fire that pulsed through Sans's bones and pushed his mind to some other place where reality didn't matter as much as ecstasy. He felt like Edge never lied in these tender and sexual moments – in fact, Sans felt like he was vulnerable and that made him all the more honest. Never had someone around him managed to express emotions so genuinely to him. Perhaps, this was why he felt all the closer to Edge after every bout of sex.

Sex with Edge…

Perhaps despairing was too strong of a word and yet, Sans couldn't think of a more tamed one to replace it with. The more he thought about it, the more he reckoned he probably shouldn't have used it at all – that said, it didn't mean there wasn't a problem. The issue mostly stemmed from time. The smaller skeleton often found himself pressed into a bed or whatever flat surface they could find to fuck on more than he did doing anything else. This would have been fine had he not been cast into a different and dangerous universe with the intent of finding a way back home. Since he and Edge had initially begun having sex, he hardly ever worked on the MaWoIn machine. Aside from reviewing some of the electrical work he had previously done, he hadn't done anything relatively productive. He wasn't even sure what he had managed to do _could_ consist as productive.

The fact of the matter was that resisting his own sexual urges wasn't impossible. It just necessitated some determination and resolve. Sans truly did want to return home and that meant he would have to reject some of Edge's advances and not purposefully put himself in certain suggestive situations to work to that end. This, Sans reminded himself, didn't mean he would have to refuse _every_ single offer for sex as much as the grand majority if he wanted to get somewhere with the MaWoIn machine.

" _Sans_ …" Edge groaned, pulling him out of his thoughts, "This slow pace is driving me nuts…"

 _right, whoops…_ Sans awkwardly thought to himself.

Perhaps putting all of the sex related blame on Edge was not only wrong but not entirely true either. After all, he had willfully walked away from his work in his alter ego's secret lab to disrupt the taller skeleton. Like him, Edge was weak in the face of sex. Before either of them knew it, Sans had teleported them into Edge's room and they were stripping. And now here they were: with Sans on top riding a massive dick.

Sans glanced over his shoulder to see the other's very frustrated expression. "just…revel in the moment." He suggested with a coy smile.

"I would if I wasn't convinced you got distracted." Edge called out, placing his hands on Sans's hips. "I allow you to convince me for sex while I'm trying to work and then this happens." He gave a sharp thrust as he pushed himself up, pulling a gasp from the smaller skeleton. "We did say it would be a quick one, didn't we? This doesn't seem to be particularly quick…"

"i-i can make you finish quickly…" Sans defended as he was pushed onto his hands and knees.

"I know you can." Edge purred lowly and gave another thrust. "Your cunt is so perfect and tight around me, I don't doubt that you could milk me dry just by squeezing."

Sans smiled to himself as he opted to do just that and contract his hole around Edge's cock. "like this?"

" _Hnn_ … _yeah_ …" Edge moaned and moved himself slowly in and out, "I might just be missing one other thing though…"

Sans's smile widened knowingly as he pushed back on Edge's prick just as the latter thrusted in. "like what, _boss_?" He asked teasingly and held in a gasp when he felt the cock inside him swell. "you're pretty easy to please, hun?"

"You just know the right buttons to press." Edge replied and leaned down to kiss Sans's shoulder. "Now I want to hear that beautiful voice of yours while I fuck you to completion."

"h-hey!" Sans stammered as he was thrust into particularly hard, "i was— _mmmf!_ —i— _aahn!_ "

"You were what, _pet_?" Edge groaned, thrusting relentlessly into Sans, "Use your words."

Sans gripped the bedsheets and tried to form the rest of his sentence but all he could do was moan as sparks of pleasure pulsed throughout his body. Edge's dick was so good, so big, and it felt so perfect inside of him. Words escaped him. All he wanted was more of the pleasure it brought and before long he opted to simply give into it. He could try riding Edge some other time. It was his fault for getting distracted in the first place.

" _ahhhn_ _fuck me more, boss_!" Sans whined, moving into each thrust.

" _Ngh_ , what a filthy mouth you have…" Edge groaned. He gripped his hips harder and rammed into him, earning more shouts and cries of pure bliss. "With pleasure—"

Sans was quickly losing his mind and hardly keeping track of the things that left his mouth. He only knew he would be embarrassed by them if he could remember whatever it was he was saying. As far as he was concerned, he was only moaning and calling Edge what he liked to be called during sex. He wondered if he was into BDSM though he refused to get carried away by his thoughts again. He focused on the pleasure and, soon enough, Edge had him orgasming untouched before filling him up with his own seed. Sans then collapsed on the bed, breathing heavily to catch his breath while Edge sat back and did the same.

"Geez, Sans…" Edge breathed, "The sight of you right now…"

Sans blushed at what he figured the other was seeing – him sprawled on his stomach with his legs apart and cum dripping out of him. A sight worthy of a porno. He could imagine the shameless close ups of the camera and the comments that came with the prodding of his cum filled cunt. He quickly closed his legs and switched positions; deeply embarrassed. Edge laughed at his reaction.

"Don't squirm around too much." He said, leaning over to the bedside table next to his bed and pulling out some wipes from the top drawer. "I don't want cum to stain my covers."

Sans frowned and hugged his legs to his chest. "you're probably going to have to clean them anyways." He said, "they'll smell like sex."

"They'll smell like you." Edge stated with a soft smile.

Sans blushed and glanced away. "you're too cheesy sometimes."

Edge laughed in response. "Maybe. Now spread your legs and turn around so I can clean you."

Sans rolled his eyes but complied. He crossed his arms to use as a pillow for his head and rested as the other carefully cleaned his mess. Sans tried not to focus on the tingly sensation he felt from the other's hands on his most sensitive parts. He shut his eyes and desperately thought of other things to push away the temptation of going at it a second time. It was supposed to be just one quick one and nothing more.

"so…" Sans croaked out abruptly when Edge's hands brushed by his tail bone. "are you into bdsm or something?"

Edge cocked his head curiously at him. "why do you ask?"

"you like being called 'boss'. that's a pretty dominate title." Sans pointed out and, just as he did so, his mind wandered to something he didn't know why he didn't think of beforehand. "you…didn't you say your brother—?"

"I'm going to stop you right there." Edge intervened, "Yes, my brother calls me 'boss' but so do the others that work for me."

"right." Sans chuckled awkwardly and shook his head. "sorry, i don't know what i was thinking."

"But…you're right." Edge then added, "I'm into that stuff. I like being called 'boss' during sex for that reason."

"why haven't you mentioned it to me before?" Sans asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"I'm the first person you've ever had sex with." Edge explained, "I didn't want you to think I was taking advantage of your inexperience or trying to force you into doing something you didn't feel comfortable with so I figured I just wouldn't talk about it until or if you asked. What would it have looked like if I just brought it up out of the blue or just before sex?"

Sans looked over his femurs and pelvis and when he found the taller skeleton was mostly done, he shifted positions to be facing him. "what do you normally do when you indulge in those things?" He asked, nervously toying with the bedsheets. He had never really considered BDSM whenever he thought about having sex. He figured it would be something that just wasn't his cup of tea and would never interest him. However, in this moment, Sans reckoned it was something he was willing to try if with Edge only. "what have you done with others?"

"Honestly, pretty much everything you can think of." Edge admitted, "I'm usually the dom, but I have subbed on occasion."

"then what do you prefer to do?" Sans asked.

"We don't have to do anything if you don't want to, Sans." Edge said instead with great concern. "Don't feel obligated to do so just because of what I like. I enjoy this kind of sex just as much. I don't need whips and chains to have a good time."

"i don't feel pressured, i'm just curious." Sans assured, but twiddled with his hands for a moment before adding: "but…if i like something i hear…maybe we could try it."

Edge stared at him silently for a long time as though trying to deduce whether he was telling the truth or not. Eventually he nodded, "Alright," He conceded and put the wipes away, shutting the drawer, "Broadly speaking, I'm into bondage and pain play." Sans made a face at the latter and Edge laughed. "I like what I like."

"bondage…doesn't sound so bad." Sans said, ignoring the previously mentioned pain play.

"It's like I said, Sans, we don't have to do anything." Edge reminded, "I'm perfectly happy continuing with what we've already been doing."

"i want to try it." The smaller skeleton stated. "maybe not now because i've got to work on the mawoin machine but…"

"And I've got my own work to do for the Guard and as an Ogruf." Edge sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"how behind are you?" Sans asked. He felt bad at the thought of having delayed him in his work. Unlike Sans, there was someone who would yell at him if he didn't get his things done on time. Given the universe, Edge was also susceptible to worse sanctions than a stern talking to.

"Not at all, actually." Edge confessed much to the other's surprise and relief. "I'm ahead in all of my work."

"but…" The smaller skeleton frowned, "then why am i also your assistant?" He asked, utterly confused. "when we first met, didn't you say i made you fall behind? You also always had piles of documents on your desk…"

"Well, yes but the truth was no. I go above and beyond." Edge explained sheepishly, "I don't have to do a bunch of the stuff I do. All I really have to do is sign off on the reports the sentries hand in and look over a few documents detailing the state of Snowdin citizens. I'm just an overachiever. Undyne teases me about it a lot. I technically have a lot of free time, but I didn't need it nor want it before you…"

"oh…" Sans muttered, blushing. "you might as well keep at it. i need time to work after all."

"I suppose I could keep working." Edge granted, "Or…I could plan another date if you would like."

Sans smiled at the unexpected suggestion. "another date?" He repeated.

"Yes. It's been a couple of weeks since the last one." Edge stated. "And it was fun…I figured we could do it again."

Sans felt his cheeks heat up. "alright." he nodded, "i'd like that."

"I'm glad." Edge hummed and leaned in to kiss him briefly. "So what now?"

Sans thought for a moment before falling back onto the bed. "i should probably get back to the mawoin machine…" He mused. "but i could stay here for a while longer."

"Lazy bones." Edge chuckled and laid down next to him. "I'm starting to think you don't actually want to go home."

"being here isn't so bad." The smaller skeleton admitted, nuzzling into the other. "especially when i'm with you."

"Why…" Edge hesitated in a way that made Sans glance up at him curiously. His eyes were anxiously trained elsewhere and he thrummed his fingers tensely against his arms. "Why not…stay here?" He eventually choked out.

Sans smiled sympathetically. It was a thought he had entertained and mulled over a few times beforehand. He reached for the other's cheek and stroked it tenderly. "i have to get home if not for my own personal responsibilities than for my brother." He explained and Edge nodded understandingly. "but…" he then added, "you could…maybe come with me instead…?"

"I don't think I would fit in your world." Edge smirked. "But I think I would like to see it someday. It sounds much nicer than this little slice of Hell."

"i guess there's no reason either of us couldn't commute back and forth." Sans reckoned. "especially if i fix the mawoin machine."

"It's a bridge we can cross once we get to it." Edge concluded and embraced Sans close to him.

"very true." Sans huffed and relaxed.

 _yeah_ , he thought, _despair really isn't the right word to use._


	15. Edge of Tomorrow

It had been a week since Edge had decided to organise a second date while Sans took some time to work on the MaWoIn machine. And though the taller skeleton was rather thorough in his planning, Sans doubted that whatever he had in mind truly necessitated a whole week. Nevertheless, it had permitted him to feel significantly more productive. Power was now running through the dimension hopping machine; the lights installed on the control panel shined while the rest of his work simply hummed with life. One thing he had noticed, however, was how quickly the machine overheated. He would need to install a ventilation system next, but at this point he reckoned he deserved a break.

Taking a step back, Sans beheld what he had spent countless weeks attempting to rebuild. It was finally taking shape and he felt good about it. Not even the worries of whether he would truly be able to return home or not could bring down his good humour. It was really coming along. By the looks of it, he didn't seem to have too much wiring left. The bulk of the work now seemed to be in regards to covering the wires with metal plates. For the moment, that was. He would then have to review the theory, making sure the machine would indeed do what it was intended to and not, say, explode and or end this universe.

 _stop._ Sans told himself and took a deep breath. He rubbed his hands over his skull then his face before dropping them by his sides and sighing deeply. _one thing at a time. let's not get carried away. again._

Before his mind could begin to wander once more, the skeleton teleported himself into the kitchen. As was his habit when working diligently, he had neglected to eat and was consequently starving. Before he managed to take a step towards the refrigerator or even so much as grasp his new surroundings, the mouth-watering odour of nachos invaded his senses and had his stomach growling loudly.

"Sans?" Edge called from the living room. Sans wandered to it and peeked his head out, spotting the taller skeleton on the sofa with a plate of nachos. Had he had less self-control, he would have been drooling. "Are you done working?"

"um…i guess." Sans shrugged and walked over, eyes solely trained on the food and nothing else. "i still have a lot of work ahead of me, but i've made a lot of progress too."

"That's nice." Edge then paused, a smirk growing on his face – one Sans didn't notice given the amount of attention he elected to pay to the nachos. "I'm going off on the barest of limbs here, Sans, so forgive me if I'm wrong, but are you, by any chance, hungry?"

"can i have your nachos?" He asked instead.

The reply had Edge laughing his charming laugh, throwing his head back slightly as he did so. "Sure, I made them for you." He said and handed him the plate.

"so thoughtful." Sans commented with a tease as he shoved the food in his mouth. Fortunately, the nachos seemed to have been made some time ago as the melted cheese didn't burn him. "but why?"

"For our date." Edge replied.

"wait, that's tonight?" Sans asked with his mouth full. He didn't remember them ever settling on a date. All they had ever said was that it would be a week from their previous bout of sex. Unless he had forgotten—

"Calm down, Sans." Edge chuckled. "I'm only telling you this now. You didn't forget."

"how long were you waiting for me to be done?" Sans asked, guilt creeping onto his back.

"About 45 minutes." The taller skeleton replied. Despite his nonchalant tone, Sans still felt bad about making him wait. The majority of those past minutes had been spent pointlessly reviewing the work he had already done – he was a bit obsessive that way. "But it's fine. Don't worry about it."

"what's the date?" He then queried, glancing around for anything particularly special.

"A movie." Edge replied much to Sans's surprise. "Dinner – or rather a snack _and_ a movie."

Sans stared at the taller skeleton speechlessly for a long minute. He had supposedly spent a week preparing for this date. In regards to their first date, it had taken him the total of two days to come up with a menu _and_ to cook a feast at the last second. It made no sense that with a week's worth of time Edge had chosen to settle on something as simple and as easy as a movie night.

"are you serious?" Sans frowned sceptically. The last thing the other skeleton was, was an underachiever.

"Absolutely." Edge smiled, amused by Sans's baffled state.

"you took a _week_ to plan this?" Sans repeated, furrowing his brow and rubbing it as he tried to understand the other's thought process.

"Well, I took about three seconds to think of it." Edge admitted frankly, "I figured I'd give you a week so you could work on the MaWoIn machine properly. You _are_ trying to get home."

"yeah, but…" Sans started but then trailed off.

"As much as I want you to stay with me," Edge continued after a brief pause, "I realise you also have a brother to return to and I'm not going to stop you from doing that. No matter how great the sex."

Sans chortled at the unexpected final statement. He shoved Edge playfully as he said: "you were getting so sentimental and then you ruined the moment!"

"We're supposed to be having fun," Edge replied with a chuckle, "What a terrible date this would be if we kept the impending future on our minds the entire time!"

"it's not necessarily impending," Sans maintained, nothing was guaranteed just yet, "but i see your point." He scooted closer to Edge, leaning his head on his shoulder all the while minding the plate of nachos. Once he was comfortable and all snuggled up, he asked: "so what are we watching?"

Edge threw an arm around Sans's shoulder and held him close. He reached for the remote with his other hand and switched the programing of the TV to land on the movie. "It's called All You Need is Kill." He answered, pressing play. "It's a human movie. Given your opinion on our general monster content, I don't think you would have enjoyed our movies."

"are they needlessly violent and gory?" Sans smirked, fishing for another nacho.

"Only in the best way." Edge defended with a chuckle.

The conversation ended with a roll of Sans's eyes. They were reduced to silence as the movie began and the smaller skeleton quickly found himself intrigued by the plot. It had been a long time since he had seen a decent human science fiction movie and this one was looking to be very good. He wolfed down the nachos, enthralled by the conflict and incredible fight scenes only to soon find his plate empty. However, he was far too enraptured by the movie to care. The same could not be said for Edge.

As the opening action finally died out and the film slowed its pace, Sans quickly became aware of the taller skeleton's wandering hands. He hadn't paid it too much attention at the start; only doing so when he felt fingers slip beneath the hem on his pants and steadily wander to his pelvis. At first, he opted to ignore the gesture. As far as he knew, Edge could have been just mindlessly grabbing at him while he focused on the movie or something of the like. And if it wasn't the case, Sans's lack of response would serve to indicate that, at the moment, the film was more intriguing to him than the idea of sex. But Sans underestimated Edge.

Soon, the other's fingers were rubbing sensitive parts of his pelvis in a shameless manner. As much as he tried to ignore it, Sans couldn't keep a gasp from passing his mouth when his ischium was teased. "edge!" Sans snapped, his cheeks heating, "i'm trying to watch the movie!"

"I know." He responded smoothly but with a shit eating grin on his face. "I'm just touching. It's been a week, you know."

"i know…" Sans conceded, "but it's distracting me."

"Maybe all that means is that you're not _that_ interested in the movie." Edge suggested, brushing his fingers against that same sensitive spot.

"e-edge!" Sans gasped. Though he hadn't been initially interested in fucking the other skeleton at the moment, the more he kept teasing him, the more his urges swelled. It _had_ been a week…

"I have an idea." Edge declared and Sans was certain everything that was about to happen was, at the very least, loosely premeditated. He entertained him all the same. Edge sat upright, nudging Sans off him before taking him and seating him on his lap. The latter looked over his shoulder quizzically, "If we fuck like this," he explained, "you can still watch the movie."

"oh my god." Sans sighed.

"It's a great compromise." Edge argued with a hopeful expression. "The longer you argue, the more you're going to miss so just agree."

Sans chuckled lightly. "you don't look like you're about to let this go. not without a fight at least." He remarked. "fine. but you're doing everything yourself."

"With pleasure!" Edge purred.

Sans resumed watching the movie but it was admittedly far more difficult to pay attention to it now that he was being manhandled so openly. His coat was taken off and cast aside and his pants were tugged off in a way that suddenly made him feel self-conscious. He waited for Edge to begin to strip as well but instead he unzipped his pants and pulled out his cock. Sans held in a shudder as he felt it against his backside.

"Hey." Edge cooed as he kissed his scapula. "Make something I can fuck."

Sans felt himself blush at the request but complied all the same. He pooled his magic into his pelvis and made both a cock and an entrance. His heart skipped a beat when he heard the other hum to himself in satisfaction. It was then Sans realised he probably wasn't going to pay the movie much attention anymore.

Edge pressed kisses to the back of his neck as his hands fiddled around his pelvis and teased the ecto genitals that had been summoned. His fingers brushed over the slit of his urethra and rubbed the head of his shaft while his other hand felt around the entrance Sans had made. It was difficult to not let himself be distracted by the pleasure and though he fought against it to the best of his abilities, he soon found that he was watching the movie but not _listening_ to it. The other skeleton had successfully pried his attention elsewhere. However, Sans made it a point to not let such a fact show. Of course, this was a short-lived decision.

After what felt like hours but had in fact been mere long minutes, Edge stopped teasing and hoisted Sans up to sink him onto his cock. It was at that point that his resolve truly began to break. His cunt was stretched almost to the brim to make way for the massive shaft entering him. He managed to retain any sort of sound until it squeezed past his pelvic bone, pushing against it in a maddeningly delightful way. He let out a soft whimper and grit his teeth to keep any more from escaping him.

"Never been this deep inside of you…" Edge whispered lewdly against his neck.

Sans gritted his teeth together, forcing himself to not give in just yet. "s-shh." He chastised with little commitment.

"Oh right." Edge chuckled, thoroughly amused, "You're still watching the movie." He kissed his scapula again, "Don't worry. I'll be gentle."

Sans didn't have to see the expression on his face to know that what he had said was a blatant lie. And even if he hadn't noticed, the first thrust gave his intentions away. It was sharp and calculated, pulling a startled " _a-ah!_ " from Sans. He repeated the movement several more times, producing the same result. Then, he took Sans by the femurs and lifted him just enough to be able to give long deep thrusts as opposed to the sharp and short ones. Needless to say, the smaller skeleton was no longer enjoying the movie. He was effectively drowning out the sound of the action with his moans.

"Not so loud, Sans." Edge teased as he brought him down onto his cock while he canted his hips up. "You won't be able to hear anything."

"s-sh- _uh_ -t up!" Sans moaned, rolling his hips without quite noticing it.

Edge chuckled and moved his hands to his pelvis, finding it much easier to manhandle especially now that the smaller skeleton was moving on his own. Sans arched forward, pressing his hands down on Edge's knees for support. He tried to keep his gaze up but he couldn't help his eyes from fluttering shut and his head from drooping down as pleasure continuously burst through him. It was like never ending waves of bliss – waves that continuously crashed down upon him, suffocating him for a moment and hardly giving him time to catch his breath before the next one repeated the cycle.

"f-fuck, edge!" Sans whined. " _mmf!_ th-this is such bullshit!"

"Are you getting mad?" He laughed.

"yes!" Sans snapped and looked over his shoulder, glaring at his lover. "i really – _ahn!_ – liked that movie! you should h- _ah_ -ve p-picked a bad one if this was what you – _f-fuck!_ – planned all along!"

"Let me make it up to you." He purred, angling his thrusts on a different angle as he began pummelling mercilessly.

Sans saw stars and couldn't help the lustful cries that escaped him. Somehow, it seemed like Edge's prick was hitting a special spot inside of him. The ecstasy felt concentrated to a specific zone in his pelvis. It was too much to handle and several thrusts later, he came hard with a loud cry. Edge's thrusts then slowed as he considered the smaller skeleton's oversensitive state. His body trembled and convulsed around Edge's erection sporadically but continuously. He had never cum quite this hard in all his life.

"Did you like that?" Edge asked, his tone low and rough.

" _m-mmf_! y-yes." Sans breathed shakily.

"You're so cute like this." Edge sighed. He rested his chin on Sans's shoulder as he released his grip on his pelvis, snaking one arm around his waist to hold him in place while the other reached for his sensitive cock. Sans gasped and cried when he felt his hand wrap around his prick. He didn't understand Edge's goal, but he was certain there was no way he would—

But before he could finish the thought, the taller skeleton began pumping his cock. Bolts of overwhelming pleasure shook through Sans. It was far too much to handle and when he moved to get away, he ended up thrusting himself on Edge's prick. "e-edge! stop! i can't—"

"Our safe word is: conch. Nod if you understand." Edge stated authoritatively. He repeated himself once more before Sans comprehended what he was being told and nodded. Edge wanted to play one of his sex games and Sans wasn't sure he would be able to withstand it. "Good; if you really want me to stop you'll say that word."

" _e-edge!_ " Sans whined again desperately. "this—th-is is t-too much! too much!"

Edge began pumping his cock faster without any regard for what he had just said. He chuckled as Sans's shaft went from limp to hard again in his hand. Soon after, he began thrusting his hips as well. "If this is really too much—" Edge groaned, "you know what to say—"

Sans considered uttering the word they had so recently agreed upon. He was losing his mind what with the degree of oversensitivity with which he was subjected to. It was to a point where the pleasure was almost more comparable to pain than anything else. And yet, he stayed his tongue. He wasn't sure why, but a part of him was almost certain it was because he was mere moments away from ejaculating a second time.

" _o-oh_ god, edge—" Sans cried out desperately. With another strong pump and well angled thrust, he came again and all but collapsed against Edge. "jerk…" he muttered beneath his heaving breaths, absolutely exhausted.

"You looked so cute, all oversensitive and trembling." Edge hummed, brushing his hand over the other's skull. "I wanted to see how far I could push you."

"great." Sans mumbled. He would have rolled his eyes had he not been too tired. "are you going to keep your dick inside of me forever or are you finally going to take it out now?"

"You're not going to let me finish?" Edge asked.

"you lost your chance." Sans frowned at him. "i'm absolutely beat."

"You have such low stamina" Edge noted. "I thought you would be a bit more enthusiastic after our long week of abstinence."

"if you'd given me a moment to rest, maybe you would have been met with a different result." Sans pointed out. He then lifted himself from Edge's cock, holding in a languid moan until he was off.

"Fine. Point taken." Edge conceded. "How about you use just your mouth then?"

"how about i leave you hanging?" Sans returned with a cocky grin. "karma for pushing me." Sans laughed when Edge looked visibly distressed by the idea.

"Your hands then?" Edge tried to bargain.

" _your_ hands." Sans returned.

"Do you want me to put on a show for you?" Edge asked.

"no, i was thinking i'd go to sleep or something." Sans shrugged, laughing again when a distressed expression contorted the other's features once more.

"Who's the jerk now?" Edge pouted.

"still you, i think." Sans smiled. "but…" he then added now that he was just about done toying with the other's emotions, "carry me to your room and maybe we can work something out."

"Why don't you just teleport us there?" Edge asked.

"suddenly, i'm changing my mind…" Sans declared tauntingly.

"Okay, fine! Sorry!" Edge hastily apologised and scooped the smaller skeleton in his arms. "You're so demanding."

Sans chuckled proudly and leaned against Edge as he was carried upstairs. "so what exactly _did_ you plan for tonight?" He asked. "was it just fucking me during a movie?"

"More like all night long." Edge admitted. "We could try some bondage if you're up to it. If _I'm_ up to it."

"what's that supposed to mean?" Sans snickered.

"I'm not sure I have the patience to tie you up before fucking you." He replied.

"what if i tie _you_ up and teach you the virtue of patience?" Sans purred.

"What if I fuck you until you pass out as soon as we get in my room?" Edge returned.

"that doesn't sound so bad." Sans said.


	16. Crumpled Words

Sans woke up in the middle of the night not entirely sure as to why. Edge didn't snore, he wasn't in an uncomfortable position, and he didn't need to go to the bathroom; so why did sleep suddenly elude him? He stared at the ceiling for a moment, hoping he would fall back to sleep but to no avail. He reckoned he might have better luck rolling onto his side but, the moment he did, he discovered what it was that woke him up. His lower half felt sticky and mucky from the amount of times both he and Edge had both cum. The two must have passed out as soon as they finished – just as the taller skeleton had promised – thus never cleaning their mess.

The sensation was gross to say the least. Sans had never felt this particularly mucky before but as much as he wanted to clean it all off, he was still exhausted. He didn't think his legs would be able to hold him up if he went to the bathroom for a quick shower. For a moment, he pondered simply waiting for the next day and getting Edge to help him. However, as soon as he shifted slightly he felt the disturbing sensation of dried cum sticking his bones.

"so nasty…" Sans frowned and rubbed at his pelvis in an attempt to soothe.

It took a moment of lamenting the poor decision to sleep rather than clean after sex for Sans to remember that Edge kept wipes in his bedside table. They obviously wouldn't do the job on their own but if they could make him feel even slightly cleaner, maybe it would be enough to allow him to go back to sleep. Who knew, maybe the wipes of this world were super effective or something. Sans snickered at the thought.

He shifted onto his stomach and reached for the first drawer over a sleeping Edge. The tips of his fingers just barely brushed against the handle but it seemed to be enough to pry it open until Edge wrapped his arms around him and rolled onto his side. The taller skeleton snuggled him tightly, almost to the choking point, and mumbled something incoherent before going back into a deep sleep. Sans held in an exasperated groan and wiggled his way out of the other's arms carefully. Now free, he reckoned it would be best to go around his lover instead of over lest he repeated the same situation.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he reached easily for the first drawer and fished through it. The wipes were much more difficult to find than he thought generally because there were more things than anticipated hidden in the first drawer. He felt a lot of papers, maybe documents he had brought to read before going to sleep, and small cartons of what Sans believed to be recipes written in the boxes of store bought items – though that didn't seem to fall in line with the kind of chef he knew Edge to be.

Sans was just about to lose his patience and turn on the lights if only briefly to help him see when he caught a hold of something strange: a crumpled paper. Rather than leave it be, he took it out and examined it. Though no matter how close he brought it to his face, it was still hard to make out. It seemed to be a note but it was far too dark to read anything. He thus set it aside and fished through the drawer once more, fortunately landing on the wipes.

The smaller skeleton scrubbed himself diligently. The wipes weren't as powerful as he joked they would be, but they certainly made him feel cleaner and more comfortable. He wiped his femurs first, working upwards to his pelvis and then finishing with the bottom of his spinal cord. By the time he was done, most of the wipes were gone. He would have to tell Edge the coming morning so he would know to buy more.

Tired and clean, Sans was ready to go back to sleep. He gathered the used wipes and brought them to Edge's bin which was by his computer desk. Upon disposing of them, Sans should have immediately gone back to bed and snuggled up to the taller skeleton, but, instead, he lingered by the computer observing the flashing blue light of the chassis. It was probably just enough light to read whatever was written on the crumpled paper.

' _probably'_. Sans scoffed at himself, rolling his eyes, _it_ is _enough._

However, the note wasn't any of his business. It belonged to Edge and the last thing he ought to be doing was snooping through his stuff. He remembered just how upset he had felt when his brother had stumbled upon his secret lab; why would he make his lover go through the same anger? With that said, despite his common sense, overwhelming curiosity was pushing him, _nagging_ at him, to just give the note a quick gander. Odds were, something hopelessly mundane was written onto it. It would do no harm. Sans supposed he now understood how Papyrus had felt at the time.

He gritted his teeth in frustration as he debated between his curiosity versus his sense of respect. He ultimately gave into the former – considering he had the soul of a scientist, the decision hadn't been a particularly shocking one. He never could resist a mystery, no matter how small. Sans reasoned to himself that what he was doing wasn't so bad; the note was probably from Undyne. She had probably included it with a file she had sent to Edge. All it probably said was something to the effect of "I'm too lazy to do this myself, so do it for me". Or maybe the note was from Mettaton. He wasn't entirely sure why Edge would have kept it if it truly was the case, but maybe they were an item before their relationship became what Sans knew it to be.

As he continued to justify and underplay his action, Sans returned to the bed and picked up the crumpled note. He straightened it out and huddled next to the computer chassis. He waited for the blinking light to return before holding the paper up next to it.

 _I'm sorry._

 _I don't know what else to say._

 _I know you don't want to see me. I'm disgusting._

 _I'm sorry._

 _But I know how to fix this._

 _I'm sorry._

 _Goodbye._

The writing was clumsy and Sans could have believed it was Undyne if not for all of the apologies peppered through the short text. It wasn't what he had been expecting to read, but then he still wasn't quite sure what it was – what it was supposed to be. Was this a final message from his alter ego? Sans frowned at the idea. If it was, it didn't match anything he had been told about him. Apparently, the Sans of this world was unforgiving in who he was. He felt no shame and didn't sugar coat anything for anyone except Edge.

Was it Mettaton then? The writing seemed a bit too unkempt to be his, but then Sans didn't know him, at least not the one from this world. So then who was this? Why were they apologising? Why were they 'disgusting'? What did they mean by 'goodbye'?

The latter question was what caught Sans's attention the most. It seemed like the key or, at the very least, the biggest hint. The more he thought about it, the more he figured the author of the note couldn't have been Undyne nor Mettaton. 'Goodbye' suggested they wouldn't see Edge again and that wasn't the case for either. Edge still interacted with Undyne while Mettaton still chased after him whenever he could. Though he couldn't speak for the killer robot, Undyne didn't seem the type to write a note. Whatever she had to say, she would probably say it face to face no matter how shitty. The only missing monster for which the question could account for was the Sans of this world despite the lack of correlation with what he had been told.

 _i suppose it remains a matter of perspective._ Sans rationalised. Perhaps the way his alter ego had been described to him was how Edge saw him even though the truth could be far different.

Now entertaining the idea that his alter ego had indeed written the note, Sans wondered what had exactly happened. The general message was vague to an outsider; he could only assume everything was much clearer to Edge. Something had evidently gone awry; the writer had done something wrong – had messed up badly. Had disgraced himself? Why else would he call himself out for being 'disgusting'? The smaller skeleton thought about what little he had learned about his other self. Did the 'disgusting' part have anything to do with his sexual relationship with Asgore? Had Edge learned of it and shamed him for it?

 _But I know how to fix this._

That didn't seem likely if the issue could be fixed. There was no such thing as 'fixing' or taking back sex once it had been had. So then what had happened? Sans considered the other things he had been told about his alter ego and the way people had reacted to him thinking they were one in the same. They had all seemed so surprised he was alive though he couldn't be sure why. Perhaps it had something to do with how long he had been missing – the monsters might have just started to assume he had died.

 _well, all but one._ Sans noted to himself.

Edge was the only monster who ever spoke about his brother as though he knew he was still around. He never spoke in the past tense, always in the present. And yet, while Sans operated under the illusion that his alter ego would one day return, Edge didn't. The few times Sans had put out a third plate for him, the other had always gotten upset.

 _upset._ Sans mused.

 _But I know how to fix this._

When he had first met Undyne at the palace, he had been under the impression that he had personally offended her – like he had wronged her in some way. Everything indicated that he had done something, from the way she spoke to how she behaved around him. She always excluded him and reproached him of having done…something. Come to think of it, wasn't the fight she and Edge had had at the banquet about where Sans had disappeared to for who knows how long? The smaller skeleton frowned and rubbed his brow. Furthermore, despite whatever they were doing, no matter how bad it could get if a second Sans showed up, Edge was always certain it would never happen.

 _Goodbye._

Why was he so certain?

 _Goodbye._

Especially when he was aware of the repercussions?

 _Goodbye._

Wouldn't he have suffered consequences as well?

 _Goodbye._

 _unless…_

Sans put the note back where he found it and went back to sleep.


	17. Sans from Underfell

Come the following morning, Sans fled into the laboratory for solace. He locked himself in with excuses that served to keep him in and forced him to ignore what laid outside. He had to work on the MaWoIn machine, he had to go home, he had to this and that and that meant slaving away for as long as he could. However, he could hardly manage to twist in a screw. It was difficult to ignore the note he had read the night before even with Edge behaving normally. Whatever happened to the Sans of this world was none of his concern. And yet, it felt like it was. This feeling went far beyond the natural curiosity all scientists held in regards to the world and its mysteries. It felt important for reasons he couldn't quite grasp.

 _i can't dwell on this…_ Sans tried to insist. He gripped the wrench in his hand tightly and tried to twist the screw, but he felt his strength slip away; his body struggling against his ultimate goal. _i've got to go home…_

His hand trembled and he squeezed the wrench tighter, but nothing happened. He couldn't bring himself to twist the screw as his mind relentlessly tugged back to the note and his suspicions. The longer he lingered on them, on his fears, the bigger the pit of dread in his stomach got. It didn't take long to realise that he wasn't going to be able to get any work on the MaWoIn machine done; not until he learned the truth. And though he firmly believed the truth was none of his business, it changed nothing. He still wanted to know what had happened. He still wanted to know what the note meant.

 _but i can't ask edge…_ He growled to himself, hoping it would be enough to control his inexplicable desire to chase after a mystery he had been confronted with during his entire stay in the Graves. However, it seemed both his body _and_ his mind were working in harmony against him as _grillby_ came to mind as an alternative solution.

This version of his friend was starkly different. The Grillby of this world was a lecherous gangster with a blatant disregard and disrespect for life. And yet, the first and only time Sans had interacted with him, he expressed something akin to concern for him. Grillby, like everyone else, had believed Sans dead and he was the first, and only, to seem almost relieved he wasn't. Despite what Edge had told him about the purple flame monster, the relationship he shared with the other Sans must have been more profound than what he thought he knew. Regardless, confronting him was his best bet. He was also conveniently the closest.

 _but…_ Sans argued with himself, _how am i supposed to get to him? there's no way edge would let me go alone…_

But before his traitorous mind could find a solution, his reason, which had been thusly serving him, stepped in with the realisation: _wait, i don't need to ask him for permission. i can just teleport. besides, i'm a grown skeleton._

Sans settled his wrench down and anxiously glanced around the laboratory. His eyes rested upon the wall he knew he shared with Edge's study. It wasn't that he felt he was about to act on a bad idea, it was that he was afraid of what he would learn. Ignorance would likely be bliss in this situation, but something told Sans that he needed to know. He needed to learn what had happened. He gritted his teeth together and took a deep breath. His mind raced one last time, his reason trying to convince him to stay. He could get found out, he could accidentally pick a fight with another monster, other monsters might gang up on him because his alter ego had pissed them off way back when; the list went on. But instead of trying to counter his anxieties any which way, he simply forced himself to teleport to Snowdin.

The town was as dark as he remembered but not as small. Perhaps the latter was due to the very guided trip he had partaken in the only time he had ever gone into the area. There were so many nooks and crannies, streets and alleys, abandoned buildings and vandalized operating shops; it was difficult to deduce what he should steer clear of. Sans glanced around and found the supply centre to his left. Having spotted a sort of landmark, he now knew he had to go right. For a moment he hesitated. This would undoubtedly be dangerous and he would have to be on his highest alert; it would be far too easy for someone to sneak up on him in the darkness and if they managed to get even the barest of blows on him, it could cost him dearly.

 _maybe i should just go back…_ He thought nervously. He was out of his element, this couldn't go well. But it was the only way to get answers.

With a hesitant step and shaky resolve, he headed right and marched through Snowdin. He wandered to where he vaguely remembered Edge had said the restaurant – brothel? Stripper bar? – was located, recognising familiar edifices along the way. He noticed some small shops that had caught his attention the first time around, though he also spotted others, more colourful and flashy, that he knew he had never seen before. It made him doubt he was walking in the proper direction and, even though he had a quick way of getting back to some place familiar, the idea of getting lost was making him nervous. Just when he was about to give up, he spotted the abandoned library Edge had said they could pillage for books but never did. From that point on, if he remembered correctly, he had to take a right in direction of out of town.

Before deciding on a path, he looked around again. He saw no monsters or even the slightest movement in the surrounding darkness, though perhaps his eyes were limiting him on that level. He did hear voices and sounds of monsters from time to time so the thought wasn't particularly absurd or incredible. After listening attentively for a moment longer, Sans felt he was safe to keep going. There didn't seem to be anyone following him and he didn't get the impression that there was. His next step was to wander to the row of buildings leading to out of town and spot Grillby's place. If it was anything like his friend's bar back home, a big neon would give away the location.

The smaller skeleton walked down the street, wincing through the darkness to make out the finer details of each building. He could read some signs and graffiti, but most scrawled sentences remained illegible. Furthermore, none of the establishments seemed to have any sort of life to them – with the exception of the one that was being used for sex a few buildings back – and there didn't seem to be hints of a flashing neon up ahead. Odds were he had mistaken himself and gotten lost—

"Sans?" He turned around to find Grillby standing by the door of one of the buildings he had dismissed as being vacant. With the door open, he could see light of various colours pouring out and hear the thudding of loud music. He hadn't considered that the windows might have been blacked out and the walls insulated for sound. "Where are you going?" There was something strange about the question, though Sans didn't quite know what.

"um…" He started, forcing himself to fall into the charade of his other self, no matter how much it made him uncomfortable and awkward. "nowhere, i was looking for you and missed the place, i guess."

"Well, come in." Grillby invited, gesturing the door. There was something a bit too demanding about his demeanour, but, in this case, Sans knew he would be able to handle himself if anything went remotely wrong.

He walked back towards the flame monster and followed him inside whatever the establishment he ran was. Automated lights flashed around, lighting dancing monsters every which colour. It was a strange sight to behold. Where one would imagine the dancing monsters were enjoying themselves, it didn't seem to be the case. Most of them seemed angry; like they were venting their emotions. He didn't have time to assess the rest of the dancing crowd as Grillby pulled him along to the bar at the other end of the floor. It was strangely more intimate and quieter there despite its proximity to the dance party and Sans could actually hear himself think.

"The usual?" Grillby asked him and began reaching for something beneath the counter.

"no thanks," Sans responded and was given a strange look, "i'd rather not right now."

Grillby held his gaze for a moment, assessing, before pulling out the bottle of fire whisky he had been reaching for. It was the most common place alcohol they had back home, nothing special about it, but he supposed that might not have been the case in this universe as the flame monster had hidden it from public sight.

"You're different." Grillby noted, reaching for a clean glass and pouring the brownish liquid. He swished it around before taking a sip and, when he did, his flames went from purple to blue, but only for a few seconds. It was kind of cool. Could his Grillby change colours like that too? He'd have to buy him a drink if he ever got back.

"i've been gone for a while." Sans replied. He couldn't think of another way to justify what must have been a pretty blatant shift in his behaviour.

"That you have." Grillby confirmed with a bitter chuckle. "You're much more whipped now."

"am not." Sans protested. He could see why Grillby and others would think so, but if he was following Edge's orders to the smallest detail in public, it was because he didn't want to get himself into trouble or killed. But how were they supposed to know that? They didn't know he wasn't who they thought he was. As such, Sans knew the statement shouldn't have annoyed him as much as it did but it seemed that his response had been perfect.

Grillby laughed in a way that suggested he was pleasantly surprised. It was like the flame monster hadn't truly recognised him or accepted him as whoever the other Sans had been to him until that point. "In denial as ever, I see." He chuckled, "How do you explain the time it took you to convince your brother to let you visit me?"

"i didn't have to convince him of anything." Sans stated.

"You sneaked off, eh?" Grillby noticed immediately. It seemed he too was much smarter and observant than one would imagine at first glance. "Risky business. Your brother won't be happy."

"he won't ever know i was gone." Sans hoped.

"I doubt that." Grillby smirked, though his amused tone suddenly faded. Before Sans got the chance to ask about his shift in humour, the other changed the subject. "How have you been?"

As much as he wanted to force the conversation back to the previous topic rather than oblige the polite pleasantries, Sans didn't know what the protocol was; he didn't know how his other self would have reacted, if he would have called Grillby out, gone straight to the point, or given in. However, there wasn't time to think and Sans acted as he normally would.

"i've just…been." He replied. "you?"

"Same old." Grillby shrugged, but for as nonchalant as his tone was, his eyes conveyed a different story. He seemed to be analysing the smaller skeleton. Was he dissatisfied with the route he chose to follow? "You're puzzling me, Sans."

 _well, that was straight forward._ Sans reckoned. "how so?"

"You're different and it's annoying me." He stated quite frankly.

The smaller skeleton supposed now was his chance to steer the conversation in the direction he wanted. "a lot has happened." He sighed truthfully. "you know what, i might bump some of that fire whisky off you after all."

Grillby pushed his glass towards Sans. "I knew you'd eventually cave." He commented as he turned around to pull out another glass for himself.

Sans swished the liquid around thoughtfully. He wasn't much of a fan of fire whisky, but drinking it was probably what his doppelganger would have done. He took a big gulp, almost too big, and suppressed a cough when he nearly choked on it. Grillby seemed to relax a bit at that.

"So where did you go?" He asked.

"first i want to know how long i've been gone." Sans demanded. "what was it? days? weeks? months, even?"

"Years." Grillby stated bluntly; so bluntly, Sans couldn't hide his surprised reaction.

"i guess now i know why everyone thought i was dead…" He mumbled to himself.

"I launched a manhunt." Grillby added. "Not long after you were officially reported missing, I made a sort of game out of it."

"why?" Sans grimaced. "shouldn't the local royal guard have taken care of that?"

Then again, given the state of this universe as a whole, it wouldn't have been particularly surprising to learn the Royal Guard didn't give two shits about missing folk. And yet, Sans, the other one, was the brother to the first lieutenant and Ogruf of Snowdin; wouldn't have Edge pulled some strings to find him?

"You'd think." Grillby smirked bitterly, "You'd also think your dickhead of a brother would have raised Hell to find you."

"he didn't?" Sans asked incredulously. That didn't seem like Edge…

"Didn't even lift a finger." Grillby confirmed; his flames flared a bit as though he were angry. He took a quick swig of fire whisky before asking: "What? Had he been telling you otherwise?"

"he hasn't talked to me about it in general." Sans admitted, "whenever i try to get information, he gets irrationally upset with me."

"Doesn't surprise me." The flame monster scoffed. He took a more tamed sip of his alcohol, finishing what remained, and then pouring himself some more. Sans decided he should also probably finish his and get a refill. "So?"

"so?" Sans drawled, unsure what kind of answer he was supposed to grace him with.

"Where have you been?" Grillby asked. "I've had my regulars and more search every single corner of this forsaken place and no one could find you."

"i don't know." Sans replied honestly. He figured his best bet would be to play the amnesiac to see whether Grillby could point him in some useful direction. Given how little he knew about his alter ego, he figured if he could continue to convince the other he was Sans of the Graves everything would go well.

"You don't remember?" Grillby repeated incredulously.

Sans shook his head. "i've been asking my bro about it and he's given me nothing to work with." He said.

"Why don't you remember?" Grillby probed.

Sans shrugged. "your guess is as good as mine." He declared, "honestly, i was hoping you would be able to tell me where i went…or even when you last saw me."

"How much have you forgotten?" Grillby demanded instead. He seemed to find it hard to believe Sans had forgotten as much as he was insinuating.

"like…everything." Sans hesitated. "i mean, i remember my bro, and you, and others; i have a general idea of what my relationships with others were like, but a lot is missing. i think boss knows more than he's letting on, but he really won't tell me anything."

"So what the hell is your game plan, then?" Grillby grimaced.

"i was going to ask questions and hope if i saw something or heard something in particular, the memories would come back." Sans shrugged and sipped at the alcohol. It was making him less nervous about all this lying. "you know, something like retracing my steps."

"Doesn't sound stupid now that you're saying it." Grillby conceded. He swished his glass around before taking a quick gulp. "Last time…" He started thoughtfully, "Last time I saw you, you weren't doing so great."

"did i say something?" Sans asked and Grillby shot him an annoyed look, as though he had interrupted him.

"I'm not done." He stated, confirming Sans's suspicion, "And I said the last time I _saw_ you, not _spoke._ " He took a deep breath and continued. "You were upset – but that's putting it mildly. Don't know if you remember, but when you get really upset about something, your magic starts flaring up and gets destructive. I had a lot of monsters come running into my place for shelter; that's how I knew you were around. So I went outside to confront you but not long after, you vanished and left a trail of bones."

"bones?" Sans repeated curiously.

"Magic bones. The red ones." He further explained. "They were fading pretty fast, but I noticed they were leading out of town towards the Ruins."

"do you think that's where i went?" Sans asked.

"Not anymore." Grillby replied. "But I did for the longest time."

Sans frowned at the response. "why?"

Grillby looked both surprised and troubled by the question. He stared at Sans quietly, mulling his thoughts. Eventually, he said: "You really don't remember, do you?" Sans shook his head. "Then go to the Ruins. Find out for yourself." He indicated. "I used to think it was the reason why Papyrus never went looking for you."

"um…sure." Sans shrugged and hopped off the barstool. He glanced at what remained of his glass of fire whisky, debating on whether he should down it quickly or not. After a short deliberation, he opted to do so. "thanks for the help."

"Just…come back." Grillby requested. And though he kept his arms tightly folded across his chest and had his head turned up obnoxiously towards the ceiling, Sans could tell there had been something particularly sentimental about the request. "Have another drink with me some time." He then added to diffuse the emotion.

Sans smirked. "okay." He promised.

With a wave, the skeleton was prancing back through the crowd of dancing monsters and was out the door. The silence was a blessing but abrupt. He still felt his head pulsing with the deafening beat of the music and so he rubbed his temples gently to sooth the ache. The conversation he had had with the flame monster had been far more helpful and indicative than he ever could have expected. Not only did he know where to go for his biggest clue yet, he had also gotten a more vivid idea of how the Grillby of this world was as a person and of his relationship with his doppelganger. At first glance, he did match the scumbag image Edge had painted of him, but upon further digging he was revealed to be so much more. It seemed like he cared a lot for the Sans of this world and was genuinely upset and hurt by his disappearance. Sans was glad he could ease that pain for the time it took to find his alter ego.

 _alright, next step is the ruins._ Sans huffed to himself, glancing around the blinding darkness of Snowdin.

When he found that the coast was clear, he teleported to Dogaressa's sentry station, opting to walk the rest of the way rather than risking an incident by going straight to the stone door. It was entirely possible that the entrance was littered with things that weren't there in his universe and the last thing he intended was to lose his legs or his life by materialising into it. The walk wasn't particularly long anyhow.

He began his trek leisurely, wondering what he would say to his alter ego if he found him. However, when his mind drifted to the stone door, he was struck with memories of home and the woman with whom he spoke from the other side. Sans wondered if the version of this world would be there to greet him – though Edge had previously mentioned that no one inhabited the Ruins. With that said, given the state of overpopulation of the Graves, it was entirely possible that some monsters were simply unaccounted for. Regardless, he hoped he would see her as he had no idea how else he would get the door open.

Though, when he reached his destination, he quickly found the thick stone door wouldn't be a problem. It seemed as though it had been shattered – exploded. Rubble littered the immediate surrounding area and a large chunk of rock was lodge into the ground where Sans had considered teleporting to. He was glad he had opted to walk instead. The skeleton weaved his way to the entrance, stopping a step away from the dark abyss that laid before him. While he had initially been able to wander around this part of the Graves unassisted by any source of light, he knew he wouldn't be able to see anything if he ventured further as he was. He patted his pockets, hoping to find something, anything, that could produce light, but he unfortunately found them empty. Just when he thought he was going to have to teleport back to Edge's house to find a flash light, he suddenly remembered how certain magic attacks produced light.

Sans thus summoned a blue bone and found that though the light was dim, it did help him see at least five steps ahead. He reckoned the option was better than returning to Edge and potentially crossing paths with him. The last thing he wanted was for his investigation to be stalled when he was so close to, if not finding his alter ego, then discovering a big clue that would lead to the truth of his disappearance. He took a deep breath and stepped into the Ruins, freezing almost instantly. A thick cloud of dust arose from the ground which was strange as Sans had been certain he was still walking on snow. However, when he crouched down to inspect, he found the sickening grey powder of deceased monsters. It startled him and he immediately backed out of the ruins, desperately brushing the dust from his clothes.

 _why…is there so much of it…?_ Sans wondered as a pit of dread formed in his stomach.

He wasn't sure that he wanted to go back in as he was fairly certain he wouldn't like what he was about to find. He wasn't even sure that finding the truth behind the disappearance of the other Sans, of the note, was worth stepping on the remains of what must have been hundreds of thousands of monsters. And yet, Sans knew himself very well and he knew the mystery would nag at him forever if he didn't at least try. He waited until his nerves were calmed before trying again, focusing on the darkness ahead and ignoring what his feet crushed with every step.

The first part of the Ruins was revealed to be a set of maze-like corridors. They zigzagged every which way in a manner that left the skeleton confused and slightly disoriented. What made matters worse was the feeling of nausea that increased when he realised the further he ventured into the Ruins, the thicker the layer of dust on the ground got. When he reached what looked like a basement, particles of deceased monsters floated in the air and Sans had to cover his mouth and nose with his coat not to inhale any.

Sans never would have guessed that beyond the Ruins lied what seemed to be a home. Judging from the size of the basement he happened upon, it must have been a particularly big one as well. He wondered why the monsters of this world didn't utilise the space of the area given their overpopulation issue. It would certainly help disperse the population. However, all it took were a few more steps for Sans to learn the reason as to why no one lived in the Ruins. He froze in place and gasped as a wave of horror washed over him – a noose, no countless nooses hung from the ceiling beams. They were all tied so closely together, barely an inch apart, and the dust on the ground became so thick. So many monsters had died there and the realisation caused Sans to panic. He wanted out immediately.

Rather than teleport to safety – to anywhere without this much dust, he ran. The direction he chose to follow eventually gave out on some stairs leading up. They didn't seem to be covered in as much dust and so he bolted towards them. However, as soon as he got to the top, he found more nooses hanging from the ceiling and any other high place. Piles of dust were peppered across the floor and so he brushed past them as he rushed for the door. But there was little comfort to be found outside as well. He found more dust and more nooses – more dead monsters, so many dead monsters. He just wanted to leave and when he finally remembered he could teleport somewhere, he found it.

Erected before Sans was a large dead tree with probably twice the amount of nooses he had come across in the basement tied to various branches. Some had broken off and laid half buried in the dust on the ground. But he couldn't quite care when he caught sight of a piece of fabric at the foot of the tree. For all the evidence of dead monsters, he hadn't found any piles of clothes. And though he was still panicked and sickened by the mass grave site in which he stood, he was compelled to grab it. There was something familiar about it that created a deep pit of dread in him the closer he got. His trembling hand reached for the little piece of fabric that stuck out from the dust and, after taking a deep breath, he pulled it out. And in that moment, he felt the world had suddenly stopped. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't feel his heart beating or even the feeling of the fabric he gripped so tightly.

He knew that coat.

It looked just like his, but it was different.

It was black and red and the hood was lined with beige-brownish fur.

It was his size.

It belonged to Sans.


	18. Despair Within Love

Sans stood amidst a sea of dead monsters clutching the coat he had found partially buried by their dust. The nooses that hung overhead seemed to weigh heavily causing the tree to crick and crack until a branch abruptly broke off – though Sans paid it no attention. He hardly even noticed it. All he could see was the coat he clung to in his trembling hands as he thought of the note he had found a mere day ago. He had entertained the idea that the other Sans might have killed himself. He wasn't an idiot, he knew how to recognise a suicide note when he saw one, but he had chosen to remain optimistic and hopeful. Accepting the truth was far too sad. Now, it was brutal.

He shut his eyes and pressed his face against the furred hood of the coat as he hugged it tightly. Maybe that was all his doppelganger would have needed to still be around. Sans breathed in deeply, hoping to catch a hint of the scent of his alter ego, perhaps to make him seem more present – like he had, indeed, existed, but all he smelled was the putrid odour of dust. His heart squeezed tightly at that and he realised he truly needed to leave this terrible place.

Sans teleported back to Edge's home. He appeared in the middle of the living room with whirl of dust he had unwittingly brought as a sort of demented souvenir. He removed the coat from his face and glanced around. He had once thought there was a strange charm to Edge's home. The attempt in portraying a tough and unbending exterior bordered on the comical and had amused him greatly. However, all the unique aspects of the home that had once brought a smile to Sans's face only deepened his saddened frown. Everything felt empty – like a crucial aspect was missing because it was. The coat he carried felt heavier in that sense.

What was he supposed to do now? He had gotten his answer; he knew what had become of his alter ego. Was he supposed to go back to work? Back to slaving on the MaWoIn machine like it was nothing? It was strange that he felt so affected by the death of someone he had never known. Perhaps it was because of _who_ had died. It was almost like a part of Sans had turned to dust.

Heavy steps jolted him out of his thoughts. Sans looked up towards the study and saw Edge emerge from it. He seemed to be quite content and in a relatively good mood – at least, for the few seconds before his eyes processed Sans and what he held on to so tightly. The taller skeleton froze in place and his features fell along with his guard. Where it had once been so difficult to make out Edge's thoughts and emotions, it was now more obvious than ever. Sans saw anger, surprise, horror, but worst of all a deep grief. And for a long moment, they stood silently facing one another with their eyes focused on the dusty black and red coat.

"Where…" Edge croaked, surprisingly calm. But he could utter nothing more than that.

"…what happened to him?" Sans asked quietly.

The tense silence persisted an instant longer as Edge's facial features displayed further sorrow and anger. This time, the anger really caught Sans's attention. It wasn't directed at him nor at the coat he appeared with, but rather at himself. And just as he came to said conclusion, he noticed the tremble in the taller skeleton's hands about at the same time he registered his tortured disposition. It was like he was watching Edge crumble and fall apart.

"I…" He choked, his voice unsteady and dripping with anguish. "I…I didn't mean to…"

Before Sans could ask what he meant by that, Edge broke down completely and cried. He fell to his knees and covered his face with his hands, but the fat tears he tried to hide seeped through his fingers. Without quite thinking, Sans threw the coat aside and rushed to the other skeleton, enveloping him in a tight and comforting embrace. He clung to Sans's coat as he wept. Regret hit him like a punch to the face. It had been none of his business. Edge had expressed not wanting to discuss the matter multiple times. He had insisted and defied him and now he had hurt a man he loved.

They stayed like that for hours as Edge wept what must have been years' worth of repressed pain. When he had gathered himself, they moved to the sofa where they sat a cushion apart. Sans had the coat on his lap and toyed at the fur hem while Edge kept his gaze trained in the opposite direction, refusing to so much as glimpse the memory of his brother.

"Could you…" He croaked hesitantly, "Could you get rid of that? I don't want to see it…"

Sans hesitated, staring at the coat long and hard before opting to fold it. "did you know about it?" The smaller skeleton asked.

"Of course I did." Edge replied almost bitterly. "I buried it there."

Sans glanced at him in surprise. "grillby…grillby said you never looked." He mumbled, unsure if he should have brought up the other monster. It was too late to take it back anyhow.

"Grillby…?" Edge repeated in surprised and looked at Sans. The latter turned his gaze away guiltily and sank his head into his shoulders. Edge frowned. "Grillby's a fucking idiot." He eventually concluded and glanced away.

Sans sighed deeply as he placed the neatly folded coat out of Edge's sight. He then sat up straight and waited for a moment before asking: "can we…talk about it?"

"What's there to talk about?" Edge bit back without sparing him a look.

"there's the note." Sans pointed out, making sure to keep his voice gentle and empathetic. The mention of the note garnered another glance from Edge who seemed shocked but unsurprised at the same time. "i didn't snoop." He added a bit defensively. "i was looking for your wipes and i found that…instead…"

"What's there to say?" Edge returned tensely, disregarding the explanation. "He left a note. People who kill themselves do that sometimes."

Sans grimaced at his insensitive wording. "don't say it like that…" He pleaded.

"Say it like what!?" Edge snapped, "It's what he did! He killed himself!"

"i know but…" Sans sighed in frustration. "there are other ways…" He scooted closer and placed a hand over Edge's. He seemed off put by the gesture. "i'm not trying to upset you."

Edge's mouth fell open as though he were torn between being understanding and lashing out again. He breathed in deeply and pulled his hand away gently so as not to offend or upset Sans. "Then stop asking about him."

Sans recoiled his hand and flexed it for a moment. It was none of his business, but…

"it's not your fault."

Edge smirked and rolled his eyes. "You don't believe that." He said. "You read the note. You know."

"actually, i don't know anything." Sans pointed out. "you don't want to tell me what happened, so i won't push you. but i'm not going to let you blame yourself for a decision _he_ made on his own. it's not your fault."

"Yes it is." Edge maintained and bawled his hands into tight fists. It looked like he wanted to keep going, to elaborate, but he was afraid.

"no, it isn't. and i will repeat that over and over until you believe it because it's the truth." Sans stated firmly. "it's not your fault."

"Just…stop it." Edge sighed and pushed himself up. "You don't know what you're saying."

"it's not your fault." Sans professed defiantly. "i don't need to know the circumstances to know that."

"Yes you do!" Edge snapped much to the surprise of both. "I killed him! I made him kill himself! It's my fault he's dead!" He seemed torn between stopping and continuing but the hurt and anger took over now that the dam had been broken. "You want to know what the fuck happened!? You want to know why he wrote me that note before he killed himself!?"

"edge, stop—" Sans tried, but he was cut off by the other's yelling.

"He loved me!" Edge shouted and suddenly Sans fell deathly silent, his heart tugging painfully. The taller skeleton's shoulders dropped as a sorrowful shudder escaped him. "He told me he loved me." He repeated, much sadder. "More than a brother should love his brother…and I…" He clenched his teeth together and held in a sob. "I was so surprised…I didn't know how I was supposed to react…I got angry… _irrationally_ angry. I said so many horrible things to him – things I didn't even mean…" His voice began to crack beneath the weight of the pain and sadness. "I didn't just break his heart…I decimated it…I might as well have tied that noose around his neck. A-and I didn't even mean to. I didn't mean anything I said." He paused for an extended moment, dropping his gaze to the ground and resisting the new wave of tears that threatened to fall down his face. "I…I loved him too." He whispered. "But I fucked it up."

Another moment of silence fell over them. Rather than resume the conversation, Edge stomped away. He left the house to God only knew where, leaving Sans alone with his thoughts. As curious as he had been to learn the truth, he had never wanted to learn it like that. He reached down to where he had place the dusty black coat and set it back on his lap as he slowly processed what had just happened.

Later, Sans returned to his alter ego's room, feeling wrong to have taken over the quarters now that he knew why he was gone. He clutched the coat tightly against his chest and glanced around the barren room. He didn't feel like he had the right to be there anymore, to borrow his clothes and his bed. He placed the dusty black and red coat on his mattress and stared at it long and hard. He tried to imagine what he had looked like. Did he resemble him? Or did he not look like him at all kind of like how Edge didn't look anything like Papyrus? Would they have gotten along? Did it even matter?

He sighed deeply and rubbed his face in exasperation. He had been stupid to think this mystery would have had a happy ending. He should have known better. There was nothing happy about this world. Another heavy sigh escaped Sans. He just wanted to go home.

The smaller skeleton sat on the bed pensively. He was troubled by how everything had unfolded. He felt bad about having somehow pushed Edge to confess everything despite it not being his intention. And yet, he felt upset by what he had learned. They hadn't dated or even been romantically involved with one another, but they had wanted to – even if it took Edge a bit too long to realise it. Something about that bothered him deeply, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why until he quite literally did. He brushed his fingers against the collar on his neck and jolted them back immediately. Sans hadn't realised he was still wearing it, but when he did, his heart tugged painfully.

 _no, that's not…_ Sans thought to himself, but then he paused as his eyes fell on the coat he sat next to and his heart tugged painfully again.

 _Edge reached beneath his desk and pulled out a black coat with a fur-lined hood and a red spiked collar. Sans refused to believe the other wanted him to put those on, but the taller skeleton's look spoke for itself._

" _no."_

" _Yes." Edge demanded and set the items over the map. "It's what my brother wore."_

Sans took off the collar shakily and threw it aside. It had been given to him for the sake of a disguise, nothing more—

" _You know, it suits you a lot."_

"no…" Sans mumbled out loud, chasing the memory away as he shook his head.

" _Anyways," he disregarded and fished through the paper bag. "I got you this." He threw it at Sans and it hit him in the face before he could see what it was._

 _Sans chuckled and pulled the fabric from his face. He was surprised to see a coat. It looked a lot like the one that belonged to his alter ego, but it was significantly different. The fur lined on the hood was white rather than caramel and the details on the black coat were blue instead of red. It wasn't the type of thing he would usually wear but he still liked it a lot._

But was there really any denying the truth?

" _did…did you take me for your brother again?" Sans asked._

" _Yeah." Edge sighed and rubbed his hand over his face._

Now that he thought about it, Edge had mistaken him for his brother over and over again. Though he had been given his current coat to supposedly help distinguish him, Sans couldn't help but wonder if that had been a lie. If he had truly wanted to not mix them up, he would have bought him a different coat – something that was starkly different rather than subtly. Sans probably looked exactly like his alter ego with the wrong colour scheme and the realisation hit him with anger and hurt. He ripped off his coat and threw it on the ground. Edge had also lied to him when Sans had previously alluded to the nature of his relationship with his doppelganger, dismissing his concerns by stating it wasn't like 'that' even though he had wanted it to be.

He tightened his shaking hands into fists and held in the tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. Had he just served as a replacement? Had he been used to fulfill a fantasy that could never be?

" _You look like him so much."_


	19. Bygone Fantasies

They hadn't slept in the same bed that night. Sans couldn't say he was particularly upset. The distance and coldness that had formed between them did sting, but it allowed him to breathe. Lord only knew he would have suffocated next to Edge had they shared a bed. He was swarmed by thoughts, by feelings – things he needed to make sense of before attempting to speak to the other skeleton again. However, whenever he tried to address the issues multiplying in his head, he found himself too overwhelmed and turned to the MaWoIn machine instead. It was funny how one question kept him from progressing on the damn thing but multiple questions had him focus.

He had genuinely loved Edge. He had wanted to bring him home and introduce him to Papyrus. He had already figured out the arguments he planned to put forth once the machine was fixed and ready to go. He hadn't intended to leave without the other and he had been fairly certain he would have been able to win him over. Sans had been so confident, he had allowed himself to imagine how Edge would have reacted to their world; what he would have said to Papyrus, to Grillby, to Undyne, to Alphys, to everyone, and how they would have bonded. He had been so excited. Now, the thoughts only brought him pain and sadness.

He wasn't his Sans. He wasn't his brother and Edge's behaviour in the morning had brutally reminded him of that. No words had been exchanged and no elaborate breakfast had been made; they had feasted on tasteless cereal instead. Edge had hardly looked at him and, when he had, the smaller skeleton knew he hadn't been who he beheld. The thought twisted his heart.

Perhaps this was one of the reasons Sans found it so difficult to address the issues at hand. As upset as he was with having been nothing more than a replacement to Edge, he also sympathised with his loss. His doppelganger had committed suicide and the taller skeleton blamed himself for it. Though he would have never taken advantaged of someone who looked like Papyrus to replace him, Sans still understood his pain. It was under those circumstances that he wondered: was he even allowed to be angry? Would he be considered selfish for not putting his hurt aside and helping his ex-lover – he assumed their relationship was over – through his issues? Was the pain of a failed relationship even comparable to that of a dead brother?

These were the thoughts that frustrated him and pushed him to work on the MaWoIn machine. While morality and questions regarding people were a complicated matter, fixing a trans-dimensional machine was simple clockwork in comparison. At first glance, the affirmation might have seemed ludicrous but no matter how complicated the science, there was only one possible answer with no space for a grey zone. Everything concerning the machine had to be perfectly exact otherwise it wouldn't work. However, people, relationships, general interactions, were all grey and complicated. Science – the MaWoIn machine – was black and white. Simple. Now that he considered it, maybe that was why he was capable of focusing on it so clearly. Working on his gateway home gave him a semblance of peace of mind. There was nothing too headache inducing about it save for the foreign chicken scratch on the blueprints he had decoded a while back.

The MaWoIn machine was comfortingly simple. Sans took a deep breath and paused in the middle of his work. He had been fixing the wiring of the dial pad and now it finally seemed perfect. There was still a long way to go. The smaller skeleton glanced at the pile of boxes Alphys had sent with his required material. He couldn't help but think of the amount of days he had left in the Graves. The end was in sight, but he wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad thing. Would he spend them slaving away in the secret laboratory isolated from Edge? Would they never speak again? Was it better that way?

Sans sighed and chuckle. The chuckle soon turned into a genuine laugh and, before he knew it, he was guffawing between heavy wheezes. He couldn't help but hunch over and hold his stomach area as he fully gave into the terrible emotion that pulsed through his bones and muddled his mind. He had ruined everything and yet he hadn't which was precisely what he found so funny – or rather incredibly sad. Tears started trailing from his eyes, blurring his vision. He cried as he laughed, eventually sobbing. He probably looked insane.

 _a god damn replacement…_ He bitterly thought to himself almost incredulously, wiping the tears with his sleeve.

It took a few minutes for him to calm down and for his mind to go blank. He stared at the MaWoIn machine thinking of home. Things had been simpler there. He hadn't been particularly happy – nothing compared to what he had felt with Edge – but he had been content and content, he now realised, was more than perfect. In the end, perhaps it was just best to leave this bizarre adventure behind and forget about it.

Sans was snapped out of his wandering thoughts when a hesitant knock resounded against the secret laboratory's door. For a moment, he thought he had imagined it, but eventually it opened to reveal Edge who was standing with his head hanging pathetically between his shoulders.

 _a beaten puppy…_ Sans reminisced.

"I…" Edge started with a croak. He breathed in deeply; "Can we talk?"

"um…sure." Sans agreed despite the fact he knew he wasn't ready to have a serious conversation concerning what had happened. He hadn't yet figured himself out. He was still conflicted.

Edge stepped in, gently closing the door behind him. He weaved his way through the stacks of boxes until he made it into the open space Sans had cleared to allow himself room to work and think. He leaned against the work table situated just across the MaWoIn machine, tensely resting his hands on it. The smaller skeleton didn't miss how he hardly glanced at him let alone met his eyes.

"I'm…I'm sorry." Edge apologised. "I lost it yesterday and…that wasn't fair to you. You didn't deserve that." Sans's mouth fell open. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say so he nodded. "I just…" He continued, "Dealing with… _that_ it…it hasn't been easy for me…"

"i…i get the feeling you never took the time to deal." Sans said with a sympathetic smile.

"You're probably right…" Edge conceded, off put by his compassion.

"i reckon this world doesn't have much in the way of therapists." Sans concluded, "there's not really anyone you can talk to about that stuff, hun? you're friends with undyne and all, but she seems like she wouldn't be particularly…understanding."

"Right…again." Edge admitted.

Finally, he looked up and met Sans's eyes. He seemed perplexed as well as tormented and upset. He was probably wondering why he was displaying such consideration and kindness. Sans was honestly wondering the same thing.

"I don't want you to be my therapist." Edge stated quietly.

"neither do i." Sans confessed.

Silence fell over them. It was heavy and suffocating; swallowing all of the air in the room. They were wondering the same thing: where did this leave them? Could they salvage their relationship? Were they truly over? Sans had assumed so, but he couldn't be sure anymore. He couldn't be sure of anything. He should have confronted his issues before having this talk with Edge.

"Are we—"

"edge." Sans interrupted and the other shut himself immediately. He paused, wringing his hands together tensely before pushing himself onto his feet and wandering to the taller skeleton. He stopped just out of arm's reach and searched for his gaze, waiting to have it before continuing. The words were difficult to spit out, they felt heavy on his tongue but he had to know. "was…was i just a replacement? was i just some…fantasy?"

Edge was taken aback by the question. His face contorted with shock as though he had just been slapped and, for a moment, Sans was hopeful that he had wrongfully assumed the answer. However, his expression then dropped to shame and regret and the smaller skeleton's heart sank. He broke eye contact and hunched over on himself like he was trying to retreat from the conversation as he turned his gaze to the floor. Sans hadn't thought he could have possibly felt worse than when he had been left to wonder what he had meant to Edge.

"No, Sans—" Edge tried, stepping forward and reaching out. He stopped when Sans backed away. He seemed hurt by the gesture, but did he have any right to be? "The answer…the answer isn't a simple yes or no."

"not sure that makes me feel better." Sans admitted with a bitter smirk.

"I…" Edge tried but his voice cracked. He seemed pained to admit the truth. Sans couldn't sympathise with him on that level. "When we first met, I thought about it but never seriously. It had just been a passing thought, _nothing more_."

"and then?" Sans asked, unsure he wanted to know.

"I love you." Edge declared firmly much to the other's surprise. Sans struggled to believe him. "And I mean you as you not you as the memory of my brother. I love _you_."

"but…" Sans pressed knowing there was more to the thought; for as much as he didn't want to know, he also didn't want to be manipulated by lies again.

"I-I don't know…" Edge stammered, defeated. "I think…there was some part of me that imagined you as my Sans."

"you think?" He repeated curiously but also with mild frustration.

"I never thought about it until you mentioned it." Edge admitted, "But I feel like I'd be lying if I said no."

Sans felt worse.

"well, now i know." Sans smiled emptily and turned around.

He just wanted to bury himself in his work to stifle the terrible emotions that stirred within him. If he didn't, he was afraid he would start crying and the last thing he wanted was to break down in front of someone who had used him.

"Sans…" Edge begged and took a step forward.

Sans refused to turn around. No matter how much he tried to hold the tears in, he found that he couldn't. They were building at his eyes, forming into thick pearls, and soon they would fall, but he didn't want Edge to see. He didn't want to be vulnerable around him anymore.

"Sans, please…" Edge begged again, his voice sounding more broken.

"i…i-i have work to do." Sans said, touching the wires he had just installed.

"Sans…" Edge choked. He was probably crying. "I love you."

The words stung and they felt unfair. Despite his earlier doubts, he knew he had every right to be angry and upset with Edge. He had used him to live something he wouldn't have otherwise been able to experience and it didn't matter whether he had done so consciously or subconsciously. Sans had been nothing more than a means to an end and his emotions, his naivety, and his hope had been exploited for that very purpose. Though he now knew better, he still wanted to run back to Edge – to hold him, to kiss him. The 'I love you' was breaking him and it wasn't fair. He had every right to be upset and Edge didn't deserve to be forgiven; at least, not yet.

"okay." Sans uttered as neutrally as he could.

A pained shudder sounded from Edge. He had probably hoped he would have been forgiven; that Sans would have given in to his desire to cast everything aside, that a genuine 'I love you' could have corrected all the damage he had done. Didn't it? Sans shook his head, forcing the naïve thought away. He wasn't going to be emotionally manipulated again. He waited until the taller skeleton left, refusing to move – _breathe_ , even – until he heard the door close behind him. When he finally did, he broke down sobbing.


	20. Two Minutes

A month had passed and the MaWoIn machine was finally complete. It looked just like the one Sans was familiar with back home, but with one fatal flaw: he couldn't get it to work. He tried just about everything he could think of, but the machine hardly did anything. Whenever he tried turning it on, the indicator lights wouldn't glow and after replacing them for the tenth time, he had to come to terms with how they weren't the problem. Just like before, Sans was missing something crucial and he wasn't going to be able to return home until he found it. However, upon considering the events that had brought him to the Graves, he realised Papyrus had been the one to get the machine to work and the latter had never told him what he had done. All he knew was that the MaWoIn machine looked like a puzzle to Papyrus and he had solved it. But no matter how hard he tried, Sans couldn't see how the contraption resembled anything close to what his brother perceived as a puzzle and it was then he realised he was never going to be able to get home.

It had been two days since he had given up. Sans spent the day lazing around Grillby's bar. He had grown to become familiar with the place and with the flame monster himself over the past month. Grillby of the Graves was surprisingly very similar to Grillby of the Underground. Though the former would put up a front with anyone who wasn't Sans in order to appear more fearsome, he was fairly down to earth and always up for a good pun. He wasn't anything close to the lecherous pervert he had seemed to be when they had first met. In fact, he had only behaved in such a way solely to piss off Edge whom he made no secret of detesting.

"Do you even speak with him anymore?" He asked, pouring a shot of Waterfall Rum.

"speak with who?" Sans asked dipping a fry in mustard. It wasn't as good as ketchup, but it was somewhat enjoyable.

"Your brother." Grillby specified and downed the shot. His flames flashed green before returning to their usual purple colour.

"from time to time." Sans answered, a hint of sadness lingering in his tone. Hopefully, Grillby didn't notice.

Their relationship had taken a dive for the worst. It had been clear that there could be no going back to how things were because of Edge's baggage. Sans also struggled to find it in himself to forgive the taller skeleton for having used him even if it hadn't been intentional. In fact, he struggled to discuss the topic in general. Whenever Edge had tried to bring it up, maybe in an effort to mend things however he could, Sans changed the subject or found an excuse to leave. Edge never persisted. Sans didn't understand why and wasn't sure whether it was good or bad. Judging by the pit forming in his stomach, it was bad.

God, he missed Edge but he knew he shouldn't.

"You've been spending the majority of your days here." Grillby noted, pouring himself another shot. This time, the rum only filled half of the glass then topping it with a layer of Starfruit Brandy. "I don't see how you can speak from time to time when you go home to sleep or whenever he's out working."

Sans watched him down the shot with a grimace. His flames sparked pink and then green. "what are you even trying to do?" He asked with a chuckle as the other pulled out more alcohol to make different shots.

Grillby surprisingly blushed and glared at the small glass. "Thought you liked seeing my flames change colours…" He grumbled in embarrassment.

Sans brightened and couldn't help but laugh. Grillby only got more flustered. It was sweet that the flame monster was trying to cheer him up. However, his smile did dim a bit as he realised why he was displaying such consideration for him. Grillby had been operating under the correct assumption that the Sans of the Graves had committed suicide. He was probably afraid of it actually happening if he didn't behave like somewhat of a good friend. Nevertheless, Edge couldn't have been more wrong about his character. Perhaps if he hadn't been both Ogruf and First Lieutenant, they could have been friends or, at the very least, gotten along.

They thus continued to spend their time together, cracking jokes, downing shots and munching on bad food. Hours flew by in what felt like mere minutes what with all the fun they were having. It had been a long time since Sans had been able to enjoy himself so thoroughly. Before anyone knew it, Grillby was reminding the other patrons dancing their hearts out on the dancefloor of the time and the usual crowd of monsters steadily began to disperse. It was weird how such a foreign place could sometimes feel so much like home. Sans supposed he was going to have to start seriously considering the Graves as his home as going back was now an impossibility.

"maybe i should get going too." Sans reckoned and stretched his limbs.

"You sure?" Grillby asked.

"yeah, i'm getting a little tipsy so…" Sans trailed off.

"You need more shots." Grillby joked and he laughed in response. "I'll walk you to the door."

Sans paused and stared at the flame monster with stupefaction for a moment. There was something eerily familiar about the line, but he shook the thought away and waited for the bartender to circle around the counter. Grillby, ever the gentleman, held the door open for him. Sans responded with a curtsy as a joke – one that effectively got a laugh out of the other. They stepped out of the bar and into the snowy street. The patrons were heading home and disappeared into the blinding darkness.

"It's chilly today." Grillby remarked.

"yeah, your…" Sans slowed down as he was struck by the oddness of the interaction. It felt familiar, like déjà-vu. "…your flames are receding."

Grillby reached for the top of his head, feeling the diminishing flames. "Hun. You're right." He hummed in relative surprise, "Best I not stay out for too long."

"well i won't keep you." Sans assured, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Why did it feel so familiar?

"I'll see you tomorrow then." Grillby grinned and patted his back a bit too hard.

"maybe tonight if i'm not too busy." Sans replied, "or bored."

"Heh, well I'm—"

Grillby was unexpectedly interrupted by the deafening sound of an explosion. The ruckus had almost startled Sans's soul out of his body. He agitatedly turned around, facing the direction from which it had come only to see frightened monsters sprinting away. It was too dark to see whether smoke was rising in the distance, but they could still smell it. Suddenly, Sans remembered why everything had seemed so familiar. The past few minutes with Grillby paralleled the day he—

"Grillby!" A monster shouted, running towards him with a concerned expression on its face. "The explosion—it came from the Ogruf's house!"

Sans's heart dropped with worry.

"What!?" Grillby snapped. "How!? Did someone plan an attack!?"

"I-I don't know!" It stammered agitatedly, "I didn't hear any rumours of people planning to dust him, but I think he was inside when the explosion went off."

If the events that had brought him to the Graves were truly repeating themselves, then Sans was fairly certain Edge would be fine. With that said, he couldn't shake the worry that filled him. What if he had been hurt? What if it had been an attack? Edge had mentioned a long time ago that he had been ambushed beforehand on multiple occasions and that the previous Ogruf had been killed. What if he was dead? The question made Sans feel nauseatingly anxious. The Graves was a garbage world, as Edge had so eloquently said, it wasn't out of the realm of possibility. He didn't know what he would do with himself if he ran home to a pile of dust. There were so many things he hadn't yet said to him; if he had been robbed of time and opportunity, he didn't know—

"Sans!" Grillby snapped, bringing him out of his thoughts. "What are you waiting for!? Go! I'll try to contact Undyne."

"r…right." Sans nodded sheepishly. He shut his eyes tightly and shook his head, clearing the obstructing worries from his thoughts. "right!"

And without wasting an additional moment, he ran home. The snow slowed him down, but the adrenaline more than made up for it. His legs pumped as fast as they could, carrying him to his home away from home in record time. Fortunately, the house was still intact despite the alarming sound of the explosion. Sans thus headed towards the secret lab the door from which, he found, smoke was oozing. A huge cloud enveloped him when he opened the door, though he had held his breath to avoid getting choked by it. The room eventually cleared enough to reveal Edge standing just a few feet away from the MaWoIn machine which was pulsing with life with a low, rumbling hum. He turned to face Sans casually.

"I…uh, I fixed it. Hope you don't mind." He said.

Sans's shoulders dropped. He was relieved to see that the taller skeleton appeared to be okay. However, for some reason, he didn't feel quite pleased to find the MaWoIn machine up and running. Having dedicated the greater part of the past month to its restoration, he expected he should have been a bit happier to find it whole. He wasn't. And when he looked at Edge, he felt the reason why. For as upset as he had been, he didn't feel it was right to part ways on such bitter terms. Others might argue that the other skeleton didn't deserve anything from him, and maybe they were right, but Sans was acting for himself more than anyone else. He needed to leave his first love knowing there was no lingering animosity. It was time to make amends.

He walked over to Edge and embraced him much to his surprise. Though initially tense, he relaxed and returned the gesture, holding Sans tightly. For a moment, all they did was hug.

"i got worried when i heard the explosion." Sans confessed, pulling away. "i thought you had gotten hurt. why did you do that?"

"The other day you mentioned fixing the thing was hopeless." Edge replied sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. "I saw how upset you were so I figured I could take a look at it and see if I could bring a fresh perspective to the problem. I was right."

"how…how did you do it?" Sans asked with hesitation. He was fairly certain he already knew the answer.

Edge shrugged. "It looked like a puzzle." He said, echoing what Papyrus had once said, "So I solved it." Sans smiled and chuckled. "What?"

"nothing." He assured and glanced at the machine.

Silence fell over them as they both looked at it. Sans's time in the Graves was finally over. It was a bit sad. He wasn't going to miss it, but he was sure he would notice its absence. After all the time he had spent there, it certainly had started to feel like home.

 _no._ Sans disagreed with himself and shifted his gaze to Edge. _he had started to feel like home._

And he still did.

 _what's the point in lying to myself?_ Sans wondered with a bitter smile. _i still love him._

"So…" Edge drawled and turned back to home. "This…this is it, hun?

"seems like it." Sans nodded.

Edge nodded as well and there was more silence. He couldn't tell whether the taller skeleton was trying to think of something to say, though he hoped he was. Sans, on the other hand, was struggling to string his thoughts together coherently. He wanted to convey himself in a coherent manner that wouldn't lead to misunderstandings or anything of the like. But how was he supposed to tell Edge he still loved him without giving him the wrong idea?

"I still love you." Edge said, halting his thoughts. Sans looked up in surprise, taken aback by his tender expression the other bore. "I still love you and I don't think that feeling will go away after you leave." Unsure how to respond, Sans kept quiet and lowered his gaze. "Sans…" Edge added and he reached for him but stopped himself, recoiling his hand reluctantly. "I need you to understand that I never intended to use you as a replacement. I really do love you as you."

Sans felt his heart throb painfully. He clenched his hands, rubbing his thumb into his palm. As much as the topic made him uncomfortable and upset, this was his last chance to express himself on the matter. "i…i don't think intention matters in this case." He started, and Edge looked hurt but nodded in agreement, "in the end, i was still used and it breaks my heart because you were my first love. you were my first everything and it hurts to think that i was just some sort of means to an end, that i as myself didn't really matter."

"You did, Sans, and you still do!" Edge exclaimed, unable to stop himself from grabbing him by the shoulders. "You matter so much to me! You weren't a means to an end, I swear on my life—"

Sans reached up and gripped his scarf, pulling him down for a kiss. Edge shut his eyes and melted into the touch. How it reminded him of their relationship – it almost made him want to cry. They then broke apart, a bit calmer but dejected. Sans slipped off his coat and handed it back to Edge.

"i'm not taking this back with me." He stated.

Edge nodded and made no effort to hide his hurt. "Do you want me to get your hoodie?"

"no, i want to leave it here." Sans said, "it's proof that this actually happened, that i was here. you don't have to keep it if you don't want to, but i would like for it to stay in this world."

"I understand." Edge replied and awkwardly shifted in place. "Would you…would you consider taking a small gift with you?"

Sans raised a brow. "i guess it depends."

Edge reached in his back pocket and pulled out a sky blue collar. The leather with which it was made was soft and Sans enjoyed the feel of it. "I had this made for you a while back." He admitted, "I don't know why I didn't get around to giving it to you sooner, but better late than never." There was a pause before he added, "I didn't want you wearing my brother's collar anymore. I wanted your disguise to belong to you."

Sans regarded the collar for an extended moment. Perhaps Edge hadn't been lying about genuinely loving him. If it were true, then it meant Sans had wasted the short time they had had left. The thought made him feel terribly sad. He truly had screwed things up.

"you…thank you." He said, choked.

Edge smiled tenderly. "Safe trip."

Sans nodded. He turned towards the MaWoIn machine, taking a step but then stopping and turning back. "what…what's there left for you here?" He asked, unable to stop himself. "this world is hopeless and violent. there's only one way things will end for you here. w-why don't…why don't you come with me instead?"

Edge was as touched as he was bewildered by the request. He probably hadn't expected Sans to make such an offer especially after considering the recent state of their relationship. Sans honestly hadn't expected it either. His heart was acting on its own and he was hard pressed to fight against it. Though he wouldn't miss the Graves, Papyrus's absence was going to leave a gaping hole in his heart; one that could never be filled.

"I…" Edge hesitated, "My brother…"

"is gone." Sans finished for him, surprising himself with his bluntness. "if your brother truly loved you, he wouldn't want you pining for him for the rest of your life."

Edge opened his mouth to argue the point, but reason got the better of him. "Are…are _you_ sure?" He asked instead.

Sans thought for a moment. He wasn't sure. He was still conflicted and upset, but his heart swelled with eagerness at the thought of bringing Edge home with him. He knew that their relationship could be fixed now that he was ready to mend it. Conversely, he knew he would probably regret leaving Edge behind for the rest of his life even if they parted on relatively good terms.

"i still love you too." He replied, extending his hand towards him. "and i think you deserve more than this dying world."

Edge stared at him for a moment, considering what he was about to leave behind and whether he was okay with it. It took him so long to make up his mind that Sans was beginning to think he would refuse his offer. However, he tentatively took his hand and said: "I'm not going to stop until I make you believe that I truly love you and not the memory of my brother."

"i look forward to that." Sans smiled.

They walked to the MaWoIn machine and Sans swung the glowing blue door open as he had the first time. They were hit by the shock wave of a second explosion which swept them off their feet and into the white void. Sans hoped they would fall back home and he kept his eyes screwed shut in nervous anticipation until they hit the ground with a bone shattering force.


	21. To Farewell

Sans gasped as the breath that had been knocked out of him returned with a force. He groaned in pain, his bones feeling as though they had been smashed to bits. Moving the slightest was absolutely excruciating and judging from the sounds Edge was making, he felt the same terrible way. He slowly cracked his eyes opened, relaxing slightly as he winced at the bright lights hanging from the cavern's ceiling. It was a good sign but it didn't confirm that they had indeed fallen back into Sans's universe.

"Sans…" Edge groaned. The smaller skeleton tilted his head towards him ever so slightly. He saw him roll onto his stomach and slowly push himself up. "Geez…" He extended a hand towards him, resting it on his shoulder when it suddenly started glowing green.

"w-what are you…?" Sans asked but he trailed off as he winced. The other's touch was burning but oddly soothing?

"I'm healing you." Edge bit out, trembling with pain.

"i didn't know you could do that." Sans stated in astonishment.

"You basically _have_ to learn healing magic in the Graves otherwise you're pretty much dead." Edge informed. And the more he spoke, the more Sans found the ache in his bones was lessening. He could move slightly without it hurting too much. "I'm not good at it so the most I can do is take away some of the pain just like I did when I first found you."

If Sans remembered correctly, it meant he would still be subjected to a lot of agony for roughly two or three more days. But that was something he could deal with if they had truly fallen into his universe. He certainly hoped they had. He didn't know if he could take fixing another MaWoIn machine and using it to travel through dimensions until they got it right.

 _multiverse means an endless amount of universes…_ Sans reckoned with horror. _we could be doing this forever…_

"Ack, fuck!" Edge hissed as pain seemed to wrack through his body. He recoiled his hand and breathed heavily. "I can't…that's as much as I can do…"

Sans pushed himself into a seating position. He was still hurting everywhere but at least he could deal with the pain enough to move around. "it's fine. thanks."

"Are we…are we here?" Edge asked as he began to heal himself. "Are we in your world?"

Sans glanced at the edifice in front of them. It looked like the back of his house. The bricks and tiling were all accurate. He then glanced over his shoulder at the surrounding tree. They were firs which was another good sign. He supposed the only way to know for certain was to look into the lab and ask around Snowdin. When Edge was well enough, he helped him up and they used each other for support as they walked to the secret lab. At first glance it looked different mostly because of the marks of an explosion. But when Sans remembered what had first brought him back to his home, he supposed his lab looked just like he had left it with some minor changes caused by a powerful blast.

"let's ask around snowdin." He suggested, still unable to come a conclusive answer.

Edge nodded and made to walk but as he did so Sans teleported them by the Christmas tree in centre town. The taller skeleton's unbalanced stance when they had teleported caused them to fall over into an aching pile of tangled limbs. Both groaned in pain. The sound they made had muffled the surprised gasps of surrounding monsters Sans recognised once he took the time to look at them.

"S-Sans…?" A bear monster stammered and cautiously approached.

"that's me." He said, straining a smile. "just out of uh…curiosity, when was the last time you heard of me?"

A crowd of monsters steadily began to form around them. Edge was tense and Sans could see he was about to fight someone, his natural instincts kicking in. He had to confirm they were in the proper universe before he lashed out and hurt someone.

"U-uh…gee willikers…" The bear said, scratching his round ear. "Must have been half a year ago. There had been an explosion in your house."

 _good._ Sans thought. It was a reassuring sign all things considered.

"If I remember correctly," He continued, "Scarf Face was the one who fetched you from Grillby's."

A red marionette looking monster with a neon green and yellow scarf moved to the forefront of the crowd. "Grillby said he was going to contact Undyne and told you to go home." They informed. "We thought Papyrus might have been hurt in the blast. A few minutes after you left, there was a second explosion. That time we all went to see."

"Sans, we thought you were dead." A bunny monster interrupted. "Where did you go for so long?"

"And who's the edgelord?" Another asked, gesturing Edge who frowned at them.

"it's a long story." Sans chuckled. He was now convinced he had come back home. "i'll tell you all some other time. first, i want to see my brother."

All of the monsters tensed and grew unnervingly silent. Sans and Edge exchanged a worried look.

"wh…where's papyrus?" Sans repeated, his heart and mind beginning to race.

"He…" Scarf Face hesitated. "He's also been missing for six months."

 **END**


End file.
